Frequently Asked Questions

 

ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE:
Is the Bible truly the inspired Word of God?
Yes. "All Scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, it is not up to us to stand in judgment on the Scriptures, as if our doubts or questions could somehow serve to change their nature. Rather, it is for us to receive them as what they are - the Word of God - and to by His grace live by faith and in obedience to them.
Is the Bible truly inerrant?
Yes, insofar as the original manuscripts are concerned. We readily recognize that, due to clerical transcription errors, the Bibles we read today do contain some very minor, inconsequential errors. Usually, these manifest themselves in such things as two different accounts of the same event reporting two different numbers of people involved, to give an example. However, we emphasize that there are NO ERRORS in the basic affirmations of the Bible (doctrines, historical references, etc.), and also that the ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS did not even contain a single error in the details.
What is the basic teaching of the Bible?
To summarize 66 books in a short paragraph would be virtually impossible. However, the basic "story line", as it were, is that in the not too distant past, by an act of His will, God created the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them. This original creation was perfect, that is, lacking sin, death, suffering, disease, and so on. The crowning achievement of God's creation was man (Adam), to whom was given complete dominion over the rest of creation. This dominion was soon lost, however, as Adam, under the influence of satanic temptation, disobeyed the simple command of the Lord to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. From that time until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God used history, His law, and the prophets as a means of preparing the world for the coming of the Messiah, who would redeem us from the curse. This was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross approximately 2000 years ago, on which He offered Himself as the supreme sacrifice for all sin for all time. Now, the free and gracious gift of salvation is being offered to all mankind, and is received by faith alone in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. To those who do receive Him, they are given the right to be called "Children of God", and receive the blessed hope of eternity in heaven when their life on earth is complete. For those who stubbornly continue on in their own way, rejecting the gift of salvation, the Bible says that they will spend their eternity in hell, away from the conscious presence of God, and the place originally created to be the judgment of the devil and his demons.
How does someone become a Christian?
Jesus Christ, through His blood on the cross, has paid the full price for our sins. Through His resurrection, He in turn conquered death. He now stands before the throne of God, bearing His blood, and fulfilling the role of our Great High Priest. As such, His primary function is to call men and women to Himself, that He might forgive and cleanse them of their sin, and then bestow on them His righteousness. In order for this to happen, however, there must be a conscious transaction between the person and the Lord, whereby they respond in faith alone to His call, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their only Savior. There is no single prayer wording that must be used, nor is there a list of actions or rituals that must be taken by the individual in order for his prayer to be heard. Anyone, at any time, my simply receive the gracious gift of salvation by faith. A suggested wording might include the following: "Dear Lord Jesus, I acknowledge to you that I am a sinner. I readily confess that this sin has driven me away from you, as it has all mankind since Adam. I thank you, though, that you have provided the means of salvation for me by dying on the cross. I therefore come to you now, asking you for forgiveness, and receiving your gift of salvation that you purchased for me. I give my life to you, and ask that you would fill me and make me into that person you would have me to be. Thank you that you will keep your promises to me, and that I can rest knowing that I will spend eternity in heaven with you. Amen". (Let us emphasize again that this wording is only a sample of suggestions. God is much bigger than our own minds, and if you are sensing the tug within your spirit to respond to His grace, just know that He honors the honest cry of the heart. If you would like to receive more information about this, please feel free to contact us, and we would be glad to speak with you.)
ABOUT THE MINISTRY:
Is Eagle's Nest a youth ministry?
Although a large portion of what we do is tailored for and involves young people, they certainly do not constitute our exclusive constituency. We endeavor, under God's direction, to minister to and with people of all ages, and love to have all walks of life involved in what we do.
What is Eagle's Nest's primary ministry?
We view ourselves as a "Bible Training" ministry. However, we view all of life as an integrated unit, wherein there is no delineation between the "sacred" and the "secular". So, whether we are in a classroom, or on a building site, or wherever, we view all of these as opportunities to teach and to learn Scripture concepts about life. So, to boil it down, our "primary ministry", by God's grace, is to lead people into a deeper consciousness of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Scriptures, through whatever means He allows us to.
Is Eagle's Nest a "Creation Ministry"?
We unequivocally hold to the natural interpretation of the Scriptural teaching of origins: that the universe is relatively young (approximately 6000 years), the creative event was accomplished in 6, 24 hour days, that the world was perfect at the completion of creation but was subsequently lost to the curse of sin and death as a result of the disobedience of Adam, and that God subsequently judged the world with a global deluge known as "Noah's Flood". However, although we staunchly hold to these claims from both Scriptural and scientific grounds, and though we do indeed involve ourselves in much teaching on this topic, we still hesitate to call ourselves a "Creation Ministry", as if that is the sum total of our focus. We endeavor to teach the whole Bible - from beginning to end - with the hopes that those who come under the influence of our teaching will be as thoroughly grounded as possible in the Scriptures as it touches every area of life.
Who is a part of Eagle's Nest?
Currently, 5 individuals make up the ministry of Eagle's Nest. These compose the Board of Directors, and each of them plays an active role in the various functions of the work. Additionally, for the various programs that arise, we bring on those whom we believe God is calling to assist us for that specified time / job.
What goals does Eagle's Nest have for itself?
First of all, we understand that "the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps". By God's grace, we endeavor to remain open to whatever avenue of ministry He opens to us. However, we do have certain "visions" of what we believe we are to pursue. Ultimately, we would like to have a "Christian Training Center" - an approximately two year, post high school level Bible School where individuals could come and receive solid Biblical training and preparation to live life with the Lord. We would also like to be able to send out missionaries from that school, and support them for full time labors. In both of these, however, we are taking them one step at a time, trusting the Lord all the while that He will accomplish what He wants to through that ministry.
How can I take part in a ministry opportunity with Eagle's Nest?
We believe very strongly in the sobriety of what we are engaged in when we undertake a ministry that God gives to us. Therefore, we must be quite selective in whom we permit to minister with us. Of course, we must rely on several means to get us an adequate picture of the person who desires the position. First of all, there is an application process, which includes questions about the individual's salvation, current walk with Christ, and stated reason for believing God would have them to participate with us. Upon processing of the application, we endeavor to arrange for a personal interview with at least two board members present, at which time we review the individual's answers on their application, as well as other issues that may arise. (If the applicant is a minor, we require at least one parent to be present at the interview). Once these steps are completed, and indeed during the whole process, we lift the person up in prayer, and ask for the Lord's guidance concerning them. The ones conducting the interview submit their report to the entire board, and the board then makes their decision regarding each individual applicant.
How does Eagle's Nest schedule their ministry opportunities?
We have a very simple formula for this. First of all, each day we commit ourselves to the Lord, and ask for His guidance. Then, we wait for Him to show us what His will is. Usually, this comes in the form of an invitation from either a person or an organization who wants our assistance. When an invitation arrives, we ask four basic questions: 1)Is the invitation directed to us, or is it just a general invitation to anybody willing? 2)Does it contain within it a specific job or task to be performed, or is it just a generic "we'd like to have you guys around" request? 3)Do they have a specific time frame for this job or task, or is that open ended? And 4)Is there anything else standing in the way, i.e., something else already scheduled for that particular time? In general, if it is indeed a directed invitation to us for a specific job at a specific time, and if there is not something else standing in the way, we move ahead (prayerfully) on the presumption that this is something that God wants us to actively pursue. If not, it is not that we won't pursue it, but we may not be quite so inclined to jump on it as otherwise.
How does Eagle's Nest support itself financially?
We have taken the position of being a "non-soliciting" ministry, meaning, that we do not make it a point to broadcast our needs with the intention of raising money. The Scriptures, we believe, teach strongly that where God gives His direction, He will be faithful to provide for the fulfilling of His will. (We hasten to add that we do not disparage other ministries who have different stances on this. This is simply the way we believe God is leading us to work).