January 2008 Happy New Year !! In this issue... The Most Important Election Above Mirror Lake, on the Mt. Whitney Trail, Lone Pine, CA Visit the High Sierra Trail on this website. Previous Newsletters    (Archives)  Website Home Page  (Trailheads) * Contact  Hiking the Trail of Truth,  Mark's Trail Phone # 909-549-0068,  or e-mail   hikemark@hotmail.com Page 2 From The Editor... The Needles and Mt. Whitney...visit the High Sierra Trail at this website. Hello, and Welcome to the January 2008 HTTOT Newsletter!  Indeed, Happy New Year !  We here at Hiking the Trail of Truth sincerely hope this New Year that you have allowed the Spirit of God to be active within your heart, and that you are perhaps able to get out for a hike and consider many of the wonders He has made. We are uniquely drawn to these wonders because we were formed from the very dust of the earth, and, because of that relationship, we have the ability to develop the understanding that will allow us to discover our unique balance with nature. Come along with us on a most profound adventure of learning... WEBSITE NEWS: Knowing God is first seeing Him through the things He has made (Romans 1:20).  Hiking the Trail of Truth is here to help you along in your journey of discovery and sharing. If you have been or are presently unable to get out this season for a physical hike, just visit our website's feature trail for this month; The High Sierra Trail . Your mental trek there can take you where you may be unable to journey physically. The eye-opening education, inspiration and lasting encouragement which you can find along the High Sierra Trail will be well worth your time... Just click on the High Sierra Trail link on the bottom of this newsletter, or click on that trailmarker on the left side of the website's Home page, or you can locate the marker on the website's Hiking Maps and Trailheads page as well.— We sincerely hope that you will hike all of our devotional and educational trails at the website this year. Again, we are here to help you in any way we can and, as always, look forward to hearing from you. Hiking the Trail of Truth is currently one of the most, if not the most, truthfully informative Christian sites on the web. Please, be our guest; explore this truth for yourself and discover! The most important way to begin your day is with a short reading from the Bible. Today is indeed a good time to begin that resolve. For this purpose, the Mountain and Valley Trail was built. There you will find daily Bible readings for the entire year, with accompanying photos, created especially for you. To locate this picture/Scripture calendar, simply click on the Mountain and Valley Trail. You will find a compass there that will lead you to the calendar of months, and you can then choose a month to begin your day-by-day readings. Your daily journey through life is sure to begin in the right direction!  After all, we live only one day at a time, right?— Why don't you then take the opportunity now and begin a one-year hike along the Mountain and Valley Trail. You will not be disappointed, in fact, your journey will be full of enlightening, life-changing insights! Don't forget that HTTOT offers FREE COUNSELING to anyone who wants it (Lord knows we all need it). Your varied questions are also important, and are given the utmost consideration in answering them. For you to be aware of the truth, in a world where falsehood abounds, is very important to us. Your spiritual struggles are of our utmost concern—we can help!  So just phone or e-mail any time. Contact information is listed at the bottom of the cover page of this Newsletter, or you can visit Questions and Answers Trail Camp at the website, where a ''submit a question" link is provided... January's Letter From the Editor :  The Most Important Election...   Unlike man-made political elections, true Christians are a product of God's personal, unconditional election. An emphasis on personal election bothers many people, but the problem they feel is not actually with election; it is with depravity. If sinners (the entire human race) are as helpless in their depravity as the Bible says they are, unable to know and unwilling to seek God, then the only way they could possibly be saved is for God to take the initiative to change their thinking, their knowledge, their lives, and save them. This is what election means. It is God choosing to save those who, apart from His sovereign choice and subsequent action, certainly would perish, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God has known who would be saved from the very foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Left to ourselves, we resist the grace of God. We are so ruined by sin that no one can properly understand either God or His ways. We do not seek God unless He is first at work within us to lead us to do so. We are not "good" by nature as some Christian writers would have you believe, but are instead naturally depraved. This does not mean that all persons are as bad as they could possibly be. It means rather that all human beings are affected by sin in every area of thought and conduct so that nothing that comes out of anyone, apart from the regenerating grace of God, can please God. Therefore, God does not choose us according to the "good deeds" many of us think we have done... The divine choice is and expression of free and sovereign grace. It is not merited by anything in those who are chosen. God owes sinners no mercy of any kind, only condemnation; so it is a wonder that He should choose to save any of us. Like every truth about God, the doctrine of election involves mystery, and it sometimes stirs controversy. But in Scripture it is a pastoral or simple doctrine, helping Christians to see how great is the grace that saves them, and moving them to respond with humility, confidence, and praise. Those who believe in God believe only because they were chosen to believe. We do not know why he chooses anyone in particular. But if we are chosen to believe, then as believers we can rely on God to finish the good work He has begun. Peter tells us we should be "diligent to make our calling and election sure" (2nd Peter 1:10)—that is, certain to us. Election is known by its fruits. Paul knew that the Thessalonians had been chosen because he saw their faith, hope, and love; the transformation of their lives brought about by the gospel (1st Thessalonians 1:3-6). Reprobation is the name given to God's eternal decision regarding those sinners whom He has not chosen for life. In not choosing them for life, God has determined not to change them. They will continue to live in sin, and finally will be judged for what they have done. In some cases God may further remove the restraining influences that keep a person from extremes of disobedience. This abandonment, called "hardening", is itself a penalty for sins. Reprobation is taught in the Bible (Romans 9:14-21), but as a doctrine its bearing on Christian behavior is indirect. God's decree of election is secret; which persons are elect and which are reprobate will not be revealed before the judgement. Until that time, God's command is that the call to repent and believe be preached to everyone. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things! (Isaiah 52:7) To understand a little more about God's election, you might want to read the Biblical book of Romans, chapter 9.  Please visit the Hiking the Trail of Truth website and begin your Biblical journey into Truth. Sincerely, Mark...I'll see you in February with another Letter From the Editor. Encouraging Gods' Children... Here is this months' list of those who need encouragement through your prayers and letters. I hope you will take the time to encourage them... Some of their problems are personal and we will respect their privacy; leaving it up to those individuals to share at their discretion. Please pray for them and write to them (I can provide addresses for you. Please call or E-mail me for that information). Encouragement is a noble thing and a profound way to honor God through lifting up His children... Please inform me if you would like to add anyone to our prayer list. Also, please check Newsletter Archives for folks and their situations previously on the prayer list. Let us this month encourage and pray for... Please remember all of the homeless, the poor, and the hungry of this world as you go about your daily routine this New Year. Try to locate a homeless, poor, or hungry person and help them in any way that you can... Continue to pray for all of those "in need" of any type, and please pray earnestly for all the people of the world in which we live—in every country—that men and women will desire to find wisdom, that they will turn and seek God's face as their true need in this world full of spiritual blindness, rebellion and increasing depravity. The Lord's coming will not be delayed much longer. Endeavor to encourage others to seek Him, in truth, while there is still time. Father, grant us the humility to seek Your face for the well being of others. Help us to reach out to them, in all seasons, with kindness in word and in deed. May our actions reflect Your character. We are, each one of us, in need of Your guidance in the use of possessions, our prosperity, our tongues and our talents. Though we are quite unworthy, we ask you to bless our efforts... In the name of your glorious Son, Jesus, we pray. Thank you so much for hiking with us through the January 2008 issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until February then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor END [Home] [Hiking Maps & Trailheads] [Discovery Trail] [Bible Map] [Trail of Time] [New Birth Trail] [Mountain & Valley Trail] [Desert Trail] [Lake Trail] [High Sierra Trail] [Wilderness Trail] [A Hawk's Trail] [False Trail] [Monthly Newsletter] [Newsletter Archives] [Questions & Answers] HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH Mark S. Taylor (909) 549-0068