DECEMBER 2006 HAPPY   HOLIDAYS !!! In this issue... ...THE MANZANITA BUSH... ...Your struggle with sin Previous Newsletters    (Archives)   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 December Holiday Issue Newsletter!  Our cover pictures of the Manzanita bush were taken in the San Bernadino Mountains of southern California. Our feature article this month; The Manzanita Bush (your struggle with sin), reflects my many visits to this unique area.— 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 month 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 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 Trailwill 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. This would indeed be the wisest of decisions that you could make... 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 and discover! WEBSITE NEWS: This month we celebrate the fourth complete year of the Hiking the Trail of Truth website on the Internet!  We will begin this year with a more concise Newsletter, however, in response to many kind requests, we are returning to a monthly edition of the Newsletter as we had at the beginning of the series. Our new format will feature Website News, and our feature article; Letter from the Editor. Following Letter from the Editor we will continue to feature, Encouraging God's Children, through posting your prayer requests, so please, send them in! Our latest 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... December Letter From the Editor: The Manzanita Bush (your struggle with sin) Manzanita is an exquisite bush and dominates the rugged mountain landscapes of southern California. As the bush matures, its old, dead bark is covered in new growth;   The dead bark is gray in color, while the new growth is a maroon red. Pictured on the cover of this month's Newsletter are several photos of the Manzanita bush. After concentrating on this bush for some time during my last hike to Indian Rock Camp, I realize how much this particularly strange growth process represents the human struggle with our sin nature. If we take a look at the Manzanita bush and consider its struggle in growth this way it becomes most informative... The sin nature is something that is within our human bodies from birth until death, no matter who we are. It is a powerful force that we must live and reckon with, even after we have been converted to Christ. Most folks are unaware of its dominant influence, however, the apostle Paul put it well:  It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law within my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am!  (Romans 7:21-24)   Another writer has worded it thusly; I decide to do good, but I don't really do it. I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it they take charge. I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope! The "tightness" or constant pressure of this struggle as described in the Bible can be seen in the intertwining branches of the Manzanita bush. The grey bark represents the sin within us. The red bark is our attempt at new spiritual growth. The two are inseparable. We are plagued throughout our earthly lifetime by this conflict of death and life within. There is no human escape from this dilemma. No matter how much you may grow in wisdom and knowledge and strength, sin is still within you. It is that old, gray bark entwined with new growth that always seems to impede the good that you will to do. However, though you will truly never come to understand yourself, there is a way to live with the turmoil... Although we are full of remorse for our past and present sinful condition, and though we fight daily as Christians with the Manzanita syndrome, God has provided a way of escape that allows us to go on living with hope in our struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Since we cannot escape on our own effort, through any of our merits, God provided His own Son on our behalf; His sacrifice freeing us from the law of sin and death. Though mind, body, and spirit continue to bear the marks of sin, the glory of salvation can be focused on, rather than the depressing reminders of continuing sinfulness, allowing joy to fill the heart. There is acceptance, immunity and security in Christ, and only in Christ. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Teachings of any world philosophy or "religion" to the contrary are false. Know also that modern psychology, which ignores the deep sinfulness of each and every human being, is also false. Christians have been set free from the law as a system of salvation. Being justified by faith in Christ, they are no longer under the condemnation of God's law in the world, but under His grace. Their standing with God is assured because they have been accepted and adopted into Christ through their faith and obedience to that form of doctrine concerning Him (Romans 6:17).  It does not nor ever will, depend on what they do, nor will it ever be impeded by what they fail to do in the physical realm. They live, not by being perfect, but by being forgiven. Also, the mind-set of the Christian, once under moral ruin, is upon salvation under reconstruction and sin must be put to death. (Romans 8:4-8).  The freedom found in Christ is the most profound motivation for dealing with sin. Since God in Christ has given you something you are completely undeserving of (i.e. complete forgiveness), what better motivation is there for striving against sin?  How wonderful then to strive to conform yourself to His image! Know that God works things out in His own time, according to His eternal plan. Don't be impatient with Him or with yourself in your struggles. What you want done or changed right at this moment in your life may not be done or changed for another twenty years!  In fact, since God is in control, things may never be as you want them. Therefore, no matter who you are or where you are, life is still just life.— I find then the best way to deal with the struggles of daily living and the sin nature within you is to dwell on the small, everyday things that God has allowed you. By appreciating these small things in life patience and joy can move in, take up residence, and replace impatience, grief and sorrow. Everyday living can indeed be a pleasure!  For example; the simple joy of stepping outside in the morning and greeting a new day, while enjoying a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. How about the uplift of a morning walk or the joy of a puppy in your lap? Most of us discover little things over the years that give us great satisfaction or pleasure. How about the refreshment of ice cold water on a hot day?  Simple?  Yes, but a gift from God just the same. How about the scent of a flower, the sound of thunder or the wind. How about the discovery of creating something through art or construction, through plan or arrangement. How about the feeling you get when you encourage someone?  It is those tiny, seemingly meaningless activities or pleasures that take on great value when your focus is truly on the God who formed you. God is well pleased and works with you and for you when you become thankful in all things. This honors Him on your behalf. After all, what earthly father or mother would not be pleased when their child honors them in this way?  When you make mistakes and feel God's chastisement do not then become discouraged, for our Father only chastises those whom He loves, whom He accepts as His children. Trust in the fact that He refines you through this love to make you all that you can be—He is preparing you for eternity and only He knows what to do and precisely when and how to do it. Bottom line; No matter what is happening in your life, God is in control. The problem may be that you are not in control. You may not realize where your focus should be. This is because you are sinful by nature and continue to sin, whether you are willing to admit to it or not.   1) Know that life consists of rolling with what's thrown at you, but you need to stop sinning your way along life's path.   2) You need to consider that God exists to make things right. To do that, He took on human form and came into the world to save sinners, of which we all are. The current Holiday season is a good time to adjust to focusing on those two thoughts. There is great opportunity within them for enlightening knowledge. There is so much to learn about the reality of sin and your need to overcome it. Consider these things this season and you will truly unwrap the greatest of Christmas gifts this year! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 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... Please remember all of the homeless and the poor of the world during this special time of year. Try to locate a homeless person and help them in any way that you can, encouraging the spirit of Christmas... 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 this Holiday season and all year 'round. 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 December issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until January of 07 then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor END Back to Top [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