Happy Second Anniversary!
Each September’s issue of The Traveler is devoted to reviewing the previous 12 months of The Traveler . . . and personal events in our lives. The Traveler is usually only three pages in length; each September, it is four pages. We began publishing The Traveler two years 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—two years 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. Simply as a personal goal, I’m asking God to provide me at least one reader in Antarctica, so it will reach all 7 continents. Our mailing list 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 Two Years
Our inaugural issue of September 2009 introduced our overall theme: we are all travelers, sojourners, pilgrims, wanderers through this brief mortal life. In the light of eternity, our lives are as brief as a morning fog that vanishes as soon as the rising sun hits it. Our short lives are to be lived in preparation for eternity. That’s the only thing that makes sense of this brief, mortal life here: living in preparation for Jesus’ coming Kingdom and then—later—in eternity.
Since that first issue two years ago, here are some of the many topics and subjects we have covered from month to month: The Bible, What is Eternal LIFE? Repentance, Success and Prosperity, two Christmas issues, Faith, The Wilderness, Restoration, “The Time Traveler,” and many others. For two years, we have received numerous responses from readers all around the world. Some of the responses have been positive, some have been negative. But overall, it looks like the Traveler is being used by God to meet all sorts of human needs.
Trapped In Time and Space
I’m “trapped” inside my own skin and can’t really do much to influence other people except by my prayers for you and my writings and teachings. But God is not “trapped” or limited in any manner, and can range unlimited throughout the earth, meeting the overwhelming needs of all kinds of people, wherever they are located. I pray daily that from his unlimited, inexhaustible, abundant resources God will meet the overwhelming needs of people for whom I pray and for whom I write. That’s the least I can do, and that’s the most and best I can do for my readers.
Orthodoxy? Heresy?
Some of the responses I receive are 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 overall, 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’m an orthodox nonconformist . . . 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 these past two years. 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”
My autobiography will finally be available for purchase next month; I’ll tell you more about it then. [Him ‘n me, my autobiography was later published in 2012 and can be purchased at amazon.com] I’m now working on my fourth book I hope to have published by the end of this year. That book is about Holy Spirit, entitled Friends Forever. [this book was published near the end of 2011 and can also be purchased at 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 four 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 the 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 the Holy Spirit use it to liberate and transform people.
In addition, we continue to be involved in various ways in our local church, Destiny Church. It’s a great church with a husband and wife team of Pastors. If you live in this locale and don’t have a church home, come visit us at Destiny Church located in a “converted” warehouse behind K-Mart. 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 church.
The Most Important Thing You Should Be Doing!
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 with your life! 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 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 and to our ministry, Life Enrichment Services, during the past 12 months.
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, going over their lessons and writing them encouraging letters. 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 Anne and I taught and ministered a number of 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 occurring there which will astound the entire world within the next couple of decades. I made this same prediction about China a year ago, 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 few years, 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, and two great-grandchildren. 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 a 13-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 dogs, 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 planet Earth to awaken me from the sleep of death and establish his eternal Kingdom on Earth.
73 – 18 = 55
So far, I’ve lived here on planet earth as a mortal for 73+ years. In the 18th year of my mortal pilgrimage, I invited Jesus to come into my life in his “unbodied form” of Holy Spirit, and since then I’ve been immortal for the past 55 years. After Jesus returns to Earth, I plan on continuing to live here on Earth in his Kingdom as an immortal being for many thousands more years and then—later—in eternity beyond all limitations of time and space—permanently headquartered here on planet Earth in the city of New Jerusalem.
Most of my working years were spent as a public school teacher, a medical administrator, and as a mean, tough old Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Air Force and fulltime Army and Air National Guard. I’ve always been bi-vocational as a so-called “lay person.” Please don’t tell anyone I’m addicted to McDonalds’ 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.
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, too, and wants to take your “ordinariness,” change you and transform you, and do EXTRAORDINARY things WITH you, IN you, THROUGH you, and AS you!
What is God doing in and through your life each day? What is He doing in your life right now—today—as you read this issue of The Traveler? Are you sharing Good News about 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 two years of publishing this e-zine, 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 in some manner. We pray for you to experience marvelous miracles in your life and in the lives of others whom God brings across your path each day as you continue on your journey through time and space with God.
We encourage you to break out of any “dead religion and tradition box” you may find yourself in, expand your horizons, and see people in your life who 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, 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:
“God, help me live in such a way that when it comes time to die, the only thing I have left to do is die.” –anonymous
Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc.
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020
LEServices 