April 2008 In this issue... A Rock you can Trust Part 2 One of "The Monuments"...Learn more on The Lake Trail at 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... Hello, and Welcome to the April 2008 HTTOT Newsletter!  We here at Hiking the Trail of Truth sincerely hope this 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 Lake 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 Lake Trail will be well worth your time... Just click on the Lake 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 Newest Addition to the HTTOT website is the Trail to the On-Line Church. Don't have a church home?  Then this trail is for you.  Learn the Bible correctly, or get help with personal problems/spiritual needs in the privacy of your own home. Ask questions and get good, solid answers. We hope that you will hike to the On-Line Church and choose to benefit from it! 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, or you can visit the On-Line Church to submit your inquiries or learn there how to understand the Bible correctly... April's Letter From the Editor :  A Rock you can Trust... Part 2 The question is, Why does your trust in God waver?  Perhaps it is because you can't see Him in His natural form, and talking with him is just not like talking to a friend whom you can see. Perhaps it is also that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and we cannot see things from an eternal perspective. Because of these truths we are forced to talk to Him and see Him only through faith, and that type of faith is somewhat difficult for we humans to muster up, especially when we feel like all hell is breaking loose against us down here on earth while we are usually found asking ourselves, "Where is God?".  With all these ongoing anxieties we are not sure how to break away from ourselves; from our human perceptions and rationalizations, to put things in His hands. It is just flat out against our nature to trust Him with the baggage of our lives. We also may feel guilty about our continued sinful condition, and we assume that He probably doesn't want to help us anyway. We're supposed to be saved, yet we keep on sinning against Him!  Bottom line; though we would most certainly like to trust in Him, we have no idea how to trust in Him. For our trust to be secure in Him it is obvious that we need to change our thoughts, attitudes, and activities regarding our trust in God. We feel that something is obviously not right. If we live and walk in the mind set of the above paragraph we will continue to wallow in the mire with no way of escape, with no way of finding healing for our weary, doubting spirits. Most Christians believe it or not carry with them some form of this mind set.— So, what type of changes do we need to make in order to be able to trust in Him for all things?  How do we find that peace that He said passes understanding?  Actually, that peace is already ours if we will but accept it. If you have been baptized into Christ, then you have been made free from the anxieties of life through the cross of Christ. The changes you need to make in you thoughts, attitudes and activities need to reflect an understanding of that freedom. You need to learn to trust in the cross of Christ and not depend on yourself... The Bible teaches that the cross of Christ is a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Gentiles (all other peoples). The Jews still seek after a sign and all other peoples continue to search for wisdom. Both of these things folks continue to search for are found in the cross of Christ (1st Corinthians 1:18-25).  The message of the cross is this: That Jesus satisfied the justice of God by offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all peoples. His death paid the sin debt from the foundation of the world until now, and will continue to pay the debt as long as this present world exists. Christians (those born again through the teachings of the cross and resurrection) are set free from sin and guilt to walk in newness of life. They no longer have to chase after the wind or be bound by their worst fears. Christians are assured of eternal life the moment they are baptized into Christ and live on one day at a time knowing that God's mercy is new every morning... The Christian's knowledge of divine things should be more than knowledge of Biblical words and theological ideas. It should be an understanding of the reality and relevance of the works of God testified to by Scripture. The work of the Spirit of God in imparting this understanding is called "illumination", or enlightening. It is not a giving of new revelation, but a work within us that enables us to grasp and to affirm the revelation of the Bible, as it is read, preached, and taught. The particular message of the cross represents at least four illuminating points essential to comprehend for the "abundant," worry free life:  The justice of God, the wisdom of God, the love of God, and the power of God. Arranging our thoughts, attitudes and activities in understanding and living this profound message is what sets us free to experience the abundant life. Believing God's promises is the key to unlocking the door we have created through unbelief. When we understand the cross and learn to believe its message, then the door will be open, and all other things we've studied in the Scriptures will fall into place... ...Next month we will complete our examination of the Rock you can Trust. We'll take a look at the four points of the cross of Christ, which can open the door and lead you to that peace which passes understanding. Your life will indeed be exceedingly richer for it, so please, join us again next month as we complete our hike on this trail to the Rock we can Trust.  Sincerely, Mark 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 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 April 2008 issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until May then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor [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] [On-Line Church] HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH Mark S. Taylor (909) 549-0068