On Eagles Wings - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

Warriors of Hope - Update From Ron Hutchcraft

The key word for day four at Warrior Leadership Summit might be “warriors.” The first people of this continent have a warrior’s spirit. They have always been valiant and fearless warriors. They’ve fought for this nation in every war since the Revolutionary War. So, we know that we’re talking warriors. You might think of names like Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Geronimo.

Today, we’re talking about spiritual warriors who are preparing and stepping up to fight perhaps the most important wars any Native people have ever fought. This war is not for land, but instead for lives of a generation who are dying from addictions, and dying by their own hand, as they have been convinced that life is not worth living and there is no hope.

Warriors of hope are being raised up here in answer to the prayer of Joel chapter 3, “Bring down your warriors O Lord, for the harvest is ripe. Multitudes are in the valley of decision.” Remember that on night two we had at least ninety of the young people here begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that has continued as they have come to Christ in other venues. In fact, we believe that the harvest will continue.

I want to share a few highlights. First of all, there is real leadership development taking place. In terms of future significance, it could be very huge. This year, some of the young men and women of our On Eagles’ Wings team, some of our veteran team members, have whole areas of responsibility for this conference. We are at the biggest Warrior Leadership Summit ever and we have Native or First Nations young people in their early twenties stepping up in leadership roles. One of them is over the main sessions, the Warrior Circles. Another one is over the Battle Councils. Another one is working with the elders who are here with us. Another is over the whole logistics of the conference. They are learning major, major event leadership.

Before the conference began, we spent two days in intensive training with them and focusing on what it means to be a Christian leader. Just imagine the potential of this for the future. One of the major reasons that after five hundred years there are only five percent of Native people who are estimated to know Christ is because the messengers, the leaders of Christianity on the reservation, have so often been non-Native. This has the potential to begin to correct a five hundred year deficit of Native leaders leading their own people to Christ.

I wish you could watch these young men and women demonstrating the warrior spirit of Jesus Christ and their tremendous potential as leaders here at the conference. It’s been exciting to see. They’re the kind of people who will be not just warriors but chiefs for the Chief of All Chiefs—Jesus Christ.

The second highlight on our highlight film for today is to talk about some warriors who have been fighting for the Lord for decades and they are the elders here. Unlike non-Native culture where we are often pretty disrespectful of our elders, Native elders hold a huge significance and they always have for centuries. They are revered, honored, and believed to be where great wisdom comes that is passed from one generation to another. We build on that here at this conference even in this generation who are so much more disrespectful and so much more separated from the past of their people and history. There is still that respect for elders.

We have five Christian elders from five different areas of the continent, and we are hearing of how they have lived a life of faithfulness for Christ. They have broken free and stayed free of the bondages that we’re asking young people here to step away from for life. They talk about how they have been able to work and serve Jesus to help set other people free. They are tremendous examples that this isn’t just something you do for a few years when you are young. This is a whole life that ends at a finish line where Jesus awaits with a “Well done good and faithful servant.” It’s inspiring to have them among us and what they represent in terms of a life lived for Jesus Christ. The elders are the living proof that you can be a warrior for Jesus Christ from your early years until you cross the finish line.

The last highlight was a night where the Holy Spirit’s work was so evident. I think it melted hearts and brought tears to our eyes. Native young people are not known for being publicly expressive. If you know any Native American or First Nations people, you know that they tend to be very quiet, very subdued, and very silent about their feelings. A public declaration is out of character and must mean that something powerful has happened in their hearts. The Holy Spirit is moving in a very persuasive and transforming way.

Tonight, Doug Hutchcraft gave a powerful message based on the story of Gideon about being a rescuer for Jesus Christ. Our focus is beginning to turn from God pursuing you so you can begin a relationship with Him to God asking you to join Him and His great cause—the pursuit of other people who need to be set free.

Doug called us to live for those who are dying and whose only hope is Jesus Christ. At the end, he called on the young people to go to a microphone and publicly, boldly, and loudly make a three-part declaration to God and to these hundreds of witnesses. Number one, “I will obey God.” Number two, “I will be a rescuer for Christ.” Thirdly, “I want to shake the gates of hell.”

The lines started to form at microphones in the aisles and you could hear different Native voices one after another. As some would sit down, more came up to take their place. Boldly some of them with tears and great passion declared that their life will be a life of obedience, a life of spiritual rescue and that they will live to rescue their people for Jesus Christ. Some declared their hope to live so that their life will shake the gates of hell.

Remember, they represent seventy-six nations and they will leave here to go to the four corners of the continent and everything in between. Think of the seed that can be scattered. Think of the light that could be spread to the darkest places on the continent. It’s not just more light where there’s already a lot of light; it may be a singular light. I challenged one Apache young lady last night when I said, “Have you ever heard of a lighthouse in the desert? You need to be that lighthouse in the desert.” We had to end the public declarations, but probably well over one out of ten people here were able to get to the microphone. As those commitments poured out of their hearts, it was one of those times when the Holy Spirit was almost so real you could reach out and touch Him.

Time will tell how these commitments will impact the Native people of this continent, but I couldn’t help but think the twelve people who told Jesus they would live like that rocked the world. It’s time. It’s time that the Native people of this continent get their chance at Jesus. They won’t listen to many of us, but they will listen to young people who come from a generation that is known for hopelessness, despair, violence, anger, and self-destruction. They will listen to their own young people announcing hope and freedom because of a brown skinned man from a tribe—Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.

We headed into our final day of Warrior Leadership Summit riding a tremendous wave of the Holy Spirit as we begin to look over the horizon at the launching of two On Eagles’ Wings teams to carry hope to a dozen reservations. We realize, perhaps even more importantly, that there are hundreds of warriors here and these are the warriors who could help make this the first Jesus generation among the first people of the continent. Would you pray for that? It’s been centuries in coming. May the time be now!