MAY  2007 In this issue... The Wilderness of Pain Previous Newsletters    (Archives)  Website Home Page  (Trailheads) * Contact  Hiking the Trail of Truth,  PO Box 1443, Crestline, CA, 92325-1443 Mark's Trail Phone # 707-477-2460, or e-mail   hikemark@hotmail.com Page 2 From The Editor... Hello, and Welcome to the May 2007 Newsletter!  We here at Hiking the Trail of Truth sincerely hope this day 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 this year on a great adventure of learning... Knowing God is first seeing Him through the things He has made. 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 Wilderness 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 Wilderness Trail will be well worth your time... Just click on the Wilderness 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 the most truthfully informative Christian site on the web. Please, be our guest; explore this truth for yourself and discover! WEBSITE NEWS: Our most recent trail addition to the website is the Discovery Trail.  Along this trail, you can immediately add to your knowledge of truth through some most profound discoveries... The Discovery Trail is an eye-opening place for you to begin the adventure of exploring Hiking the Trail of Truth, a most informative and unique website. 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 opportunity this year 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 write, e-mail, or phone 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... May's Letter From the Editor :  The Wilderness of Pain There are indeed many wilderness areas that we as individuals wander through during our brief lifetime upon the earth. You can discover and learn more about the most prominent of these areas by hiking The Wilderness Trail at this website, truly a most awakening journey. Today however we are going to explore another wilderness; the Wilderness of Pain. Upon wandering into this particular wilderness we can be faced with four things: Spiritual pain, Physical pain, Extreme physical pain, and Unfathomable pain. There are diverse experiences within each of these forms of pain. We all know that their many consequences rarely go unnoticed, yet, we still need a more profound understanding in that direction—we need to make an attempt to comprehend some of the reasons for pain. Make no mistake—Pain is the result of Satan's influence on the plight of mankind, and on the general plight of the entire creation. The four forms of pain mentioned above have their origin in sin; the departure from God's way. We would have never known any form of pain had this departure not occurred. Spiritual pain arrived first, in that Adam and Eve became ashamed and had (so they thought) to hide from God's presence in the beautiful garden where He had placed them. What a sad day for both God and man!  God's heart was broken while the first man and woman bore the heart-rending pain of shame. That shame bore offspring; growing into hurt, sadness, fear and loneliness. Today, as mankind, we are consumed by the growth of spiritual pain's offspring; loss, neglect, doubt, despair, anxiety, hate, affliction, and on and on... Mankind (generally) has been moving away from God since the fall at Eden. The further we do move away from God, through not attempting to know more about Him, the deeper we sink into spiritual pain. When our spirits become dull to hearing His voice or doing His will, two other forms of pain can occur; physical pain and extreme physical pain. God allows the use of all forms of pain in disciplining or chastening His children, that He might get their attention and bring them back toward Him. Again, Satan inflicts the pain; I believe God only allows it to happen. For sure He does not enjoy it (Lamentations 3:33), yet through our own individual resistance we are afflicted (Psalm 119:67). These truths confirm our need to attempt to accept and even to try and understand God with regard to our encountering any of the various forms of pain... King David said:  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.  If we are wise, like David, we will accept and understand that affliction can bring us back to God and cause us to become more diligent in keeping His word. Just because we fell away from God at the beginning does not mean that He won't care for us. And, if He goes so far as to allow us to experience extreme physical pain, then truly He loves us and wants us to be a part of Him and His future plans for us, namely, eternal life.  I, personally, have been the victim of extreme physical pain. At the time I could have cursed God for allowing such a thing to befall me. But, hey, He formed me in my mother's womb. He brought me to Himself in my lifetime. I have learned that only He is righteous and knows what He is doing. Shall I not be subject to His will and live? (Hebrews 12:9)  Who am I to question the creator of all things?  Yes, some things are indeed hard to understand, but I have learned that that's just the way it is... I understand the reason for my afflictions. I am always taking one step forward and two steps backward in my Christian life, at times even three steps. I know I am prone to wander—who isn't?  God has the absolute right to correct me, to chastise me, to discipline me in any manner in order to conform me to the image of His Son. I know that is His purpose! (Romans 8:29).  But what tops it all is that He allowed His own Son to die the horrible death, that I deserve, in my place. Jesus is the only person who ever lived that has experienced unfathomable pain—not in His treatment prior to His crucifixion, but through the agony of taking on the sins of the entire world while nailed to that cross!  How can any of us complain of kidney stone pain or cancer pain or any other form of pain when we have been spared the unfathomable pain?  Consider Job. He was a "good guy", a rare find as far as I am concerned, and he suffered spiritual pain, physical pain and extreme physical pain, yet he never suffered unfathomable pain. At the end of his suffering he acknowledged his error in questioning God. I would never be able to hold up as Job did, and so I have considered his strength for encouragement when I have been in extreme physical pain. But, I cannot even begin to consider Christ's pain. It was beyond comprehension. Yet, He died in our place. He died for each human being who ever lived. He bore what is due us, each of us, no matter how good we think we may be. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked or sick. Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9).  So, don't be one of those who think God is unjust and doesn't know what He is doing. On the contrary, there is purpose in everything that happens to us—both good and bad. If you are under the delusion that God won't allow some type of pain in your life, then there is much you need to learn. In fact, you can never learn enough about the things you need to learn about yourself during this earthly life, so it is wise to expect the unexpected. That way you won't fall apart when it happens—at least not at first... You may want to curse God as your particular pain progresses and seems to have no end in sight. If that feeling comes over you, I hope you will recall this writing—and then bury your face in the Scriptures... Remember what Job said:  Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15).  Consider also what the Lord told Joshua: Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:7-9).  Most sincerely, MS Taylor, Editor, HTTOT Under the affliction of your particular pain, have you made any promises to God?  Next month's Letter from the Editor...  Promise Keepers?  Who are you kidding? Page 3 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, E-mail or write to 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... Ken George of San Juan Capistrano California has recently been diagnosed with a rapidly advancing prostate cancer. Ken will be visiting the doctor again on Wednesday, May 9th, then will be scheduled for surgery. Please pray for Ken and his family regarding this matter. Ken is also a dear friend of Hiking the Trail of Truth. As we are considering pain this month, please pray for anyone you know who is suffering any form of pain, whether spiritual, physical, or extreme physical pain. We do not know the reasons for their pain, therefore be careful to ask the Lord to deal with them according to His will, that they may be able to bear their affliction and seek Him through it. Please remember all of the homeless and the poor of the world as you go about your daily routine this week. Try to locate a homeless person and help them in any way that you can, encouraging the spirit of Christmas all year 'round... Continue to pray for all of those in need of daily bread, 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 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, 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 May issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until June 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 (707) 477-2460