Very Ordinary!
Each September’s issue will be devoted to recapping the previous 12 months of The Traveler and personal events in our lives. The Traveler is usually only three pages in length; this month, it will be four pages. We began publishing The Traveler one year ago in September 2009. At first, we planned to provide it by e-mail to only a few family members and friends; As I recall, the first mailing went to about 65 or 70 people. Little did we know what greater things God envisioned for it, however!
Now—one year later—The Traveler is being read by thousands of people in numerous nations on 6 continents of the world and even on some of the island nations of earth’s oceans and seas. And it has grown only by personal referral. We have not purchased any e-mail lists, nor have we intentionally “spammed” anyone. It’s just a “God thing!”
Recap of the First 12 issues
Our inaugural issue of September 2009 introduced our overall theme: we are all travelers, sojourners, pilgrims, wanderers through this brief mortal life. October’s issue was an allegory I wrote called The City of Mystery in eternity we will all enter at the end of our odyssey through the ages and eons of time. The November 2009 issue was about the Bible, our LIFEGuide Book. God did not give us the Bible merely to inform us, but, rather, to transform us! December’s issue was about Jesus, THE time-traveler-God-as-human who came to earth to redeem all humanity and restore us into God’s clear image; it was about God—through Jesus—being fully present with humans—with me—with you!—for all time and eternity.
Last January’s issue contained a “prediction” for 2010 for all my readers. In February I wrote about how the Bible defines “Success” and “Prosperity” for our life journeys. The March and April issues were about changes in each of our lives and how to deal with constant changes. The May and June issues were about our eternal LIFE. Finally, the July and August issues were about the early years of my own sojourn through life.
Back issues of The Traveler are available by e-mail upon request. I know God is enriching and transforming the lives of hundreds of my readers…because you contact me and tell me so. I could already write a book about the miraculous journey-stories many of you have told me these past twelve months. Of course, there are always new readers, too, who ask us (sometimes angrily!) to discontinue sending them The Traveler; some of the angry ones even describe in very graphic terms where I can place it before removing their addresses from our e-mail database.
Orthodoxy? Heresy?
And I receive responses from a few readers questioning the orthodoxy of my teachings, whatever that means. Some have even labeled me a heretic (whatever that means, too), but I usually respond to them that I’m a “happy heretic.” Long ago, I chose not to simply accept without question the teachings of others—even though they might be the normative thinking in the Bible-believing world.
And I chose not to unthinkingly and unhesitatingly accept the Christian “party line” without ample evidence from the Bible alone. I try to teach and write what I honestly believe the Bible discloses about God’s character and nature, about his vast creation, and about God’s eternal love and grace He extends to all humanity.
Unfortunately, there are far too many self-appointed “fruit inspectors” running around loose in the worldwide Body of Jesus inspecting for unorthodoxy and heresy, but overall, it’s been an extremely exciting part of my own journey to write the Traveler and furnish it to thousands of readers around the world this past year. Don’t be one of those self-appointed, Jesus-believer fruit inspectors; God has much better things for you to do with your time and energy. Jesus commissioned us to bear fruit, not inspect it!
Keeping The Home Fires Burning
I have recently written two more books and have had them published. One book is about Holy Spirit, entitled Friends Forever. The second book is my complete autobiography, titled Him ‘n Me. I know, I know, it’s a weird title and not grammatically correct, but I think that’s what I’ll title it anyway. Both books can be purchased from amazon.com.
Meanwhile, I continue to write new teachings and update previous teachings posted to our ministry web site. I add one new teaching every three months on average and update one or two teachings every month or so. Right now, there are about 60 of my life’s teachings on our web site. I invite you to visit there any time and study some of my teachings. Of course, they can all be downloaded and printed. Use them any way you see fit.
Throughout the past year, we have continued to host and teach a weekly Bible study in our home with approximately 8-10 people in attendance most of the time. There, too, we have witnessed Holy Spirit change and transform lives. That’s his job; that’s what He does best. It’s not my job to change anyone. I just teach the Bible as I understand it and let Holy Spirit use it to save, liberate, and transform people.
In addition, we are involved in our local church. This year I presented a workshop for approximately 20 participants titled “Creating My Future.” I’ve been facilitating this popular workshop in many venues and locations for almost 20 years and I’ve often witnessed Holy Spirit change lives in these workshops, too. And, in addition to my own private counseling practice, I’m involved from time to time with a unique, very effective method of counseling called “God’s Light” offered by our local church.
The Most Important Thing Jesus-believers Should Do!
I honestly feel the most important thing any Jesus-believer should do is disciple, mentor, teach, and train younger Jesus-believers all the time. At any given time, I’m usually discipling 4 to 6 other Jesus-believers on a weekly basis. In my own view, if you claim to be a believer in Jesus and you are not continually discipling other, younger believers something is dreadfully wrong! I don’t care who you are or where you are or what you do or how busy you are, or how adverse your circumstances,
The Bible mandates that it’s part of God’s plans and purposes for each of us to always be discipling other, younger Jesus-believers. No excuses! If you claim to be a believer in Jesus, you ought to be discipling at least one other believer all the time and then—when finished discipling them—“releasing” them to—in turn—disciple a minimum of one other believer.
If you’re not doing that regularly and consistently, something ain’t right in your relationship with God. Hey, hey, hey! Nope…I won’t listen to any of your excuses; I’ve heard ‘em all. Most of my adult life I’ve been as busy or busier than many of you, and I’ve always made (not found) the time to be discipling at least one other younger believer at any given time—“younger” as a believer in Jesus, not necessarily in chronological age. It’s a matter of priorities; you have to make the time; you won’t find it. Remember, Jesus commands each of us to “go and make disciples” in every nation in which we live. It’s not a suggestion; it’s a command!
I’m not trying to impress you with any of this information; I’m simply recapping our personal activities related to The Traveler during the past 12 months.
Other Ministry and Service To God
In addition to writing The Traveler, books, and teachings for our web site each month, some of you don’t know that I’m also an Instructor with Crossroad Bible Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By free correspondence courses, we teach and disciple thousands of prisoners throughout the United States and in other nations of the world.
I work with various prisoners on a weekly basis and then with one graduate student prisoner more intensely on about a monthly basis. God is saving, transforming, restoring, reclaiming, and rehabilitating thousands of prisoners around the world, since they’re somewhat of a “captive audience” and eager to learn about God and the Bible.
China: The Sleeping Dragon
Our international focus remains on China, that wonderful nation where we taught and ministered a few years ago. We financially support some Jesus-believer workers there, and are excited overall about what God is doing in that great nation. I won’t write much about China; it’s like I’m saying “Don’t get me started writing about China because I’d never stop.” We love the people of China, and events are beginning to occur there which will astound the entire world within the next decade or so.
I’m going to make a prediction about China, and you can hold me accountable for it: I predict that by the year 2025 China will be the most God-believing nation on this planet, the most godly nation the world has ever known! Impossible with humans; a small matter for God! And, within the next couple of decades, 100,000 flaming young Chinese evangelists will break out from behind the Bamboo Curtain to carry the Good News about Jesus throughout the teeming Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim nations enroute to carry the Good News about Jesus back to Jerusalem where it all began 2,000 years ago.
A Very, Very Ordinary Man
For those of readers who don’t know me and have asked who I am, please understand very clearly that I’m just an ordinary man, a very nondescript, normal Jesus-believer. My name is Bill Boylan. I’m married to a great lady named Anne, have 3 biological children and one step-daughter; 3 grand-children, one great-granddaughter, and another great-grandchild will join our family in a few months. There is nothing special or outstanding about me. There’s no way I stand out in a crowd.
I live in a modest home on a quiet residential street in the relatively small community of Rapid City, South Dakota, in the northern Great Plains region of USAmerica near the beautiful Black Hills. The world-famous Mount Rushmore is only about 25 miles from our home. I pay my household expenses every month, help clean our house, wash most of our dishes, assist with our laundry, make the bed most mornings, drive an 11-year old pickup, and wear jeans and a sweatshirt or T-shirt most of the time. I get sick and grouchy from time to time. I love to watch silly sitcoms on TV. And I confess that I love science fiction books, TV programs, and movies.
My hobbies are occasionally hiking in the nearby Black Hills, regularly walking on a nearby walking path with my wife and dog, Sadie, and reading, and writing. My roots go down deep in this locale. My brother and his wife live nearby on the cattle ranch originally homesteaded by my great-grandparents in the 1870’s. But my roots are not too deep; I’m ready to be “uprooted” either when I die or when Jesus returns to our lovely planet to awaken me from the sleep of death and establish his eternal Kingdom on earth. Most of my working years have been spent as a public school teacher, a medical administrator, and as a mean, tough old Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and Army National Guard. I’ve always been bi-vocational as a so-called “lay person.”
Please don’t tell anyone that I’m addicted to McDonald’s sweet tea; you’ll often find me at a nearby McDonalds sipping sweet tea and visiting with friends, reading my Bible, or reviewing my Bible memory references. I’m very generic. I’m not tall and handsome, I’m not very smart, and I’m not very wise at times. I’m so very ordinary, you wouldn’t believe it. I’m human; I sin and make many mistakes. Just ask my wife and children and friends who know me well—and love me in spite of myself—in spite of my faults, failures, and shortcomings. In fact, recently one of my daughters told my wife “Dad is a strange little man!” She said that with love…I think.
Our Extraordinary God
Yes, I’m just very ordinary. But…I do love and serve the EXTRAORDINARY God Who lives inside me in his “unbodied form” of Holy Spirit! That’s the key. That makes all the difference in this world and the next. That same awesome, holy God lives permanently within you in his Spirit form and wants to take your “ordinariness,” change you and transform you, and do EXTRAORDINARY things WITH you, IN you, THROUGH you, and AS you! The following “mission statement” is printed on the back of my business cards and applies to every Jesus-believer—to YOU:
“God’s mission for me is to bring heaven to earth, God to people, people back to God, and exhibit to others Jesus in his ___________________________ skin. (Insert Your Name Above the Line)”
Beyond that daily mission, what are you doing with the rest of your time each day? Are you sharing the Living Lord Jesus with others in your world? What are you doing with the time, talents, and treasures God has lavishly given you—hoarding them or sharing them with others?
There you have it. That’s a recap of our first year of publishing The Traveler…and related events. We hope to continue providing it to you and thousands of other readers around the world each month for many years to come—to build you up, encourage you, and enrich your life. We pray for you to experience daily miracles in your life and in the lives of others whom God brings across your path each day as you continue on your mortal journey through time and space with God.
We encourage you to break out of any “dead religion” box you may find yourself in, expand your horizons, and see people in your life that are ready for “harvesting” and discipling where “the rubber meets the road.” Please feel free to contact us by e-mail, through our website, or by telephone. We are always here to help you and encourage you in any way we can.
Let’s Journey on Together!
“And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating—to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, for the present time, to the consummation of all time, and in eternity!” –Jude 24 and 25
To Think About This Month:
All our lives we are wanderers and sojourners, people without enduring homes. Now—through Jesus—we are returning travelers, at last finally headed to our True, Eternal Home beyond the far shores of time!
Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc.
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020
LEServices 