This issue's main article has been written by Mr. & Mrs. Bill Hoesch, of the Institute for Creation Research, and long-time friends of Eagle's Nest. They sent a letter to one of our young people who was graduating from high school, and the substance of it was such that Steve requested permission to publish it (with some modifications). May God use it to speak not just to graduates, but to all of us.

And the Lord said to him [Moses], "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." (Exodus 4:2)

What is in your hand? Your achievements represent a lot of sweat and effort - a lot of hard work. Like Moses' staff, they symbolize where you are in life right now. They're no small accomplishment, and You have kept a good testimony. They are important - you must not demean them.

Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." (Verse3)

But God commanded a difficult thing. What little security, identity and livelihood Moses had was in that staff. Though he tried, he had not done any great things for God, and his staff was about all he had. Now God was asking him not to lay it down in some religious type of ceremony, but to throw it down, to cast it away!

So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. (Verse 3)

As a shepherd, Moses knew snakes, and he had enough sense to run from this one! Imagine his confusion, though: what he had surrendered in obedience had turned into the very thing his profession had taught him to fear the most! You too mustn't be surprised regarding the "fiery trials that await you" (I Peter 4:12). They are trials with a purpose, as we shall see...

But the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail" – so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. (Verse 4)

God commands him to throw down the thing that Moses considers to be his greatest possession. Then the Lord commands that he grasp with his hand that which is his greatest fear. Moses, of course, had no idea of what lay ahead, that these unusual trials were a sort of boot camp for something really big to come – when he would shepherd not just a flock of sheep, but a nation of people. God's people.

It was a very different staff that Moses now held in his hand, for now it was called "the Rod of God" - the instrument by which He would work great miracles in the salvation, preservation, and education of His people.

"...that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers...has appeared to you." (Verse 5)

Throwing down his staff was not a one-time event. He performed the deed in the very presence of Pharaoh. He probably performed it continuously for the rest of his life while leading his people.

All of us are on a great adventure. No matter our stage in life - graduation from high school, obtaining a new job, starting a new family, or entering retirement - they are all just a new beginning. But whatever it is, we pray that it will be like Moses' staff to you. May you always have the obedience to throw it down when God calls you to, and the courage to take it up in the way He requires. If you do, then we know that we will be rejoicing with you in the future, because of the lives that God leads out of captivity through you.

Grace and peace to you be multiplied in the name of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Your brother and sister in the Lord,

Bill and Alicia Hoesch

In The Interest Of The Kingdom
A Letter From The President

Dear Friends,

Once again, the spring-time has been a period of rest and preparation for our next season of ministry. However, though our appointment calendar may have been relatively quiet, the office certainly was not. Much time has been spent working on the administrative aspects of the ministry to streamline the various record-keeping and managerial processes for smooth operation when I am away.

We have also been working on the schedule for next year's ministries. We have been amazed as the Lord has brought about a virtual explosion of ministry opportunities. Some have been reported to you in past issues of The Flier, but even in just the past few weeks we have seen invitations come from five countries on three continents in addition to the ones in which we already have been working. We are also investigating some new opportunities here in our own country. All of these, of course, we will describe in greater detail as they materialize.

Throughout this whole process we have received several inquiries from different sources (individuals, churches, schools, mission organizations, etc.) asking us how we can help them - what we have to offer. These inquiries have given me the desire to share with our readers - especially those who may be new to ENM - our mission and vision for the future.

From it's beginning, ENM has believed it's primary calling is to provide people of all ages with opportunities for growth in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord has in turn given us two primary methods or steps to accomplish this.

The first is simply teaching the Word of God and encouraging people to understand it, trust it, and apply it in their daily lives. The Bible, after all, is mankind's only true source of spiritual nourishment, thus when it is taught and then received with this perspective it serves to strengthen and encourage believers in their faith, and challenge non-believers to faith.

The second step is training other people for their Christian life and service, i.e. discipleship. This is not to mean that we push people into a life of "full time ministry", but rather we simply encourage them to learn to walk with the Savior one step at a time, living for and testifying to His glory no matter what specific vocation He might lead them into.

For the accomplishment of these purposes and methods, the Lord has opened doors of opportunity for us in churches, Bible schools and seminaries, public and private day schools, universities, public seminars, and youth camps and retreats all over the world. In addition to these are collaborative efforts in various ways and places with other like-minded ministries. And finally, we endeavor to involve other people in our work by organizing, training, and leading short term missions to various places and for various purposes.

As the Lord directs, we are continuing to pray about eventually starting our own Bible school, or "Christian Training Center". We believe that such a school would enable us to consolidate much of our work into one location, while at the same time permitting a broader and more continuous contact with students. Of course, such an undertaking is truly a "God-sized" project, well beyond our human capacities, and so we covet your prayers for and with us as we seek the Lord's will on this matter.

In the meantime, we rejoice to see many open doors for ministry, and we certainly covet your ongoing prayers for the Lord's leading and enabling.

I would also at this juncture like to offer that if there's any way that ENM can be of assistance to you in your local church, school, youth group, or other place of ministry, we would consider it a privilege to serve the interests of the Kingdom with you.

Many thanks to all of you, especially to those who faithfully pray for us.

In His Service,
Stephen Tecklenberg
President