In the first two parts of this series, Craig opened wide his heart in a message he preached in early May titled Establishing a Biblically Healthy Indigenous Faith, at the Billy Graham sponsored First Peoples Christian Leaders Conference in Rapid City, SD. If you haven’t heard the first two parts of this message, we’d strongly encourage you to do so before listening to this third and final part. That way, the whole of the message will come through loud and clear. In the first two episodes, Craig discussed the redemptive role every Indigenous people group has been given by God to be His mouthpieces at strategic times in human history. History itself affirms the reality that God had done just that through many Indigenous people groups already. Could it be that soon, the same thing will happen here in North America as well? That’s been the prayer of Craig and LaDonna Smith in their over forty years they've been serving the Lord among their people. It’s crucially important to not just win Indigenous people to Christ, but to disciple them to spiritual maturity wherever and whenever our people respond by faith to Christ. And there are some unique challenges to doing so because not a lot of time and attention has been given to address the strong animism and spiritism of our old ways that still permeate our cultures today. In today’s wrap up, Craig shares the amazing story of a former Navajo medicine man, Pete Greyeyes and the salvation, healing, and deliverance he and his wife, Rena, found when they gave their lives to Christ. Pete's story illustrates the unique challenges the Smiths Indigenous Faith materials addresses to help Indigenous believers in Christ know how to address these powerful issues in their lives and cultures. In fact, much of the Indigenous Faith materials the Smiths have developed has come from both the Scriptures, and sitting at the feet of mentors like Pete Greyeyes and other first generation believers in Christ who came out of dark animism and who spoke with great authority and experience embedded in their past spiritistic lives and vocations. These are important days, and we must not delay in teaching and equipping Indigenous believers in knowing how to follow Christ without compromise in all these issues. It's a mantle that Craig and LaDonna Smith have committed to carry as long as the Lord gives them breath!
