Continued from last month

I hope you remember the true story about Jesus with which we concluded last month’s issue of The Traveler. It was from the 24th chapter of the Book of Luke in the New Testament portion of the Bible.  If you don’t remember the story, please take a few minutes to review it. It’s very important you get a feel for that story before you read any further.

To continue our thinking about finding Jesus in every Book of the Bible, We’re going to refer now to a book in the Old Testament portion of the Bible, the book written by a man named Daniel approximately 600-700 years before the time of Jesus.  Many of you are familiar with the story in that book about how three friends of Daniel wouldn’t bow and worship a great statue erected by the king of Babylon.  To make a long story short, Daniel’s three friends were given the death penalty for not worshiping the statue; the penalty was for them to be tied up and hurled alive into an extremely hot furnace, there to die a very excruciating death.

As with many death penalty executions in some parts of the world there were witnesses to the execution. In this case, the king chose to be one of the witnesses.  As he peered into the furnace, not only were the three men alive in the fiery flames, but there was a fourth man walking and talking with them! The king was dumbfounded, stating that the fourth man looked like the “Son of man.”  The king got as near to the flames as he could and yelled at the three young men to come out of the furnace. They came out alive and well with not even the smell of smoke on them!

Jesus Throughout the Bible

There are many things that could be written about this incident, but I want to point out just one. When Jesus began his public ministry at age 30, He was known as the “Son of Man” and even referred to Himself by that title.  Many believe the fourth man in the furnace was, indeed, Jesus, in a mysterious appearance before he was born to Mary 600-700 years later. There are a number of instances similar to that throughout the Old Testament . . . centuries and years before Mary gave birth to Jesus.

The Old Testament tells of a number of occasions before the birth of Jesus when God revealed Himself as Jesus in human form. Students of the Bible refer to those instances as theophanies. That’s just a Greek word meaning “God reveals Himself.” There are a total of 152 such theophanies contained in the Old Testament.  Okay, that’s just a little information about Jesus throughout the Old Testament. I could fill a book with more such information.

Jesus in the New Testament

But now let take a brief look at Jesus in the New Testament.  I hope it goes without saying that the New Testament portion of the Bible is clearly all about Jesus. In the Old Testament, He is sort of “veiled” and “shadowed.” In the New Testament, however, Jesus is seen very clearly throughout.

Of course, the first 4 books of the New Testament—the Gospels—are each separate biographies of Jesus. Each is written from a different perspective, but taken together they give us a very clear picture of Jesus: Savior of humankind. Messiah. Deliverer. Healer. Son of God. Coming King . . .

Then the remaining 23 books of the New Testament—written by other early followers of Jesus—simply tell what Jesus continued to do through the Church (his living Body) for about another 35 years or so after He was raised from the dead and returned to heaven.  Jesus is alive! And after He returned to heaven He sent God’s Spirit to live in all his followers so they could be empowered to carry on the work He began while He was here as a human, the God-man.

In the centuries since He returned to heaven, Jesus is still “here” now in his “unbodied form” of God’s Spirit living in each of his followers. Same Jesus. Same work. It’s just that He is doing the same work “dispersed” through each of his followers. When He was here 2,000 years ago, He was a single human who could only be in one place at a time. Now, He can be found everywhere his followers are found, in whom the Spirit of God lives.

 Same Jesus in the Old Testament as a theophany. The God-man Jesus in the four Gospels. The unbodied Jesus in the remaining books of the New Testament. The same unbodied Jesus here and now . . . in you, in me, in all his followers worldwide.  Yes, the Bible is all about Jesus!

Human reason. logic, the mind, and intellect cannot “find” Jesus throughout the Bible. It is a matter of inner spiritual revelation. As Jesus Himself said, “The person who has [inner] eyes to see, let that person see!”  Everyone who reads the Bible does so either through a “lens” of faith or a lens of logic, reason, and the intellect. If one reads through the lens of faith—with an open spirit—one will clearly see God revealed as Jesus throughout the Bible.

So What?!

 Okay, I’ve made a simple attempt to teach you that Jesus can be found throughout the entire Bible. I’ve tried to teach that the Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself to humankind. I’ve tried to teach that Jesus is God’s living revelation of Himself to humankind.  If we want to know who God is, what He’s like and what He does . . . both the Bible and Jesus answer those questions.  But just information about God, the Bible, and Jesus isn’t enough. God uses the Bible and Jesus to transform us. God didn’t give us the Bible—and send Jesus to earth—merely to inform us . . . but to transform us!

Why do we need transformed? We were originally created in God’s image, but we marred that image in us by our sin. Sin is living self-centered and self-absorbed lives instead of God-centered lives.  By means of the Bible and Jesus, God is in the process of transforming us and restoring us back into his clear image. The image of God means we are visible representations of the invisible God.

Because of sin, we are imperfect visible representations of the invisible God. Jesus is God’s perfect visible representation of the invisible God. God is using Jesus as the “prototype” for transforming us back into his clear image.  As we read, study, obey, and apply the Bible to our lives, God uses the Bible to transform us. Holy Spirit who lives permanently inside each follower of Jesus gives us inner power to co-operate with God in that transformation and restoration process.  That’s so what!

Jesus in Every Book of the Bible

Oral Roberts was a healing evangelist of the 20th century whom I greatly admired, although I hasten to state he was very human and made many mistakes . . . just as we all do.  Sometime during his ministry, Oral Roberts compiled a listing of “Jesus in Every Book of the Bible.” I honestly don’t know if that listing was original with Oral or if he borrowed it from someone, but that listing has stuck with me for many years since I first read it.

 I haven’t memorized that listing, but I do refer to it often as I read and study the Bible. It furnishes me “clues” to help me locate Jesus in every book of the Bible.  I have recently placed that listing on this website for all the world to see. I highly recommend you download it and print it; keep it handy as you read and study your own Bible. I think you’ll find it very helpful and informative. The title is “Jesus in Every Book of the Bible.”

Nitty-Gritty

Nitty-gritty is a slang expression meaning the basic facts where the “rubber hits the road.”  I want to disclose some basic, nitty-gritty facts about myself that a lot of people don’t know. First, I’m fairly intelligent.  I am a college graduate. I have two masters degrees. I have a Ph.D. degree. I’ve done a lot of studying. I have many credentials. I’m not dumb. I’m not stupid. I’m halfway smart. Probably at least a little smarter than the average aardvark.

I’m telling you those things only to let you know that yes, I believe the Bible is the written Word of God. Yes, I believe Jesus is the Living Word of God.  I’m not deluded. I’m not deceived. I haven’t been bamboozled. I haven’t been hoodwinked. I haven’t been tricked. I’m not the victim of some sort of religious trickery.  An intelligent person can believe God exists and the Bible is his written revelation of Himself. A smart person can believe Jesus is God as a human, born of a virgin mother.

He was born a real person, He lived for 33 years, He died as a common criminal on a cruel Roman cross. He was raised from the dead by the power of God’s Spirit. He did return to heaven. From heaven, someday this same, real Jesus will return to earth to establish his eternal Kingdom.  I really believe all those things. That’s why I’ve been teaching the Bible and related subjects for many years. With my own eyes, I’ve seen the Bible and Jesus transform hundreds—perhaps thousands of lives.

 These matters I’m writing about—as a fairly intelligent person—are true and real. You can believe the Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself to humankind. You can believe Jesus is the Living revelation of God to humankind.  It’s okay to believe in God, the Bible, and Jesus. It’s not stupid. It’s not dumb. Fairly intelligent people all over the world believe: scientists, educators, leaders in business and commerce, the military, industry, doctors, housewives . . . multitudes in all walks of life believe.  Hey, even Hollywood recognizes the meaningfulness of God, the Bible, and Jesus. 3 new blockbuster movies about God and the Bible are out (or just about to come out): Noah, God Is Not Dead, and Heaven is For Real.

The Transformer

I’m fascinated by toys called “Transformers.” There are comic books and movies about them. I know you’ve seen them.  I want you to know those are all toys and make-believe action figures. Jesus is the real Transformer.  If you choose to let God do so, He can change and transform your life, too. All of life is made up of choices and decisions. It’s a matter of a simple decision to invite Jesus into your life in his “unbodied form” of Holy Spirit. He will take up permanent residence within you, never to leave you nor forsake you.  

Using the Bible, from within you Holy Spirit will give you the power to transform your life for the better in cooperation with Him. It’s your choice. It’s your decision.  He can free you from your self-centered, self-absorbed condition. He can free you from addictions and various types of personal bondage. He can heal your “whole person” physically, mentally, and emotionally.

He’s not God of a second chance; He’s the God of as many chances as you need. He’s not the God of a new beginning; He’s the God of as many new beginnings as you need.  “God’s Word, the Bible, is LIFE-giving, energizing, and full of God’s power. It’s sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel, penetrating and cutting through everything—right down to the deepest parts of our being, laying us open to listen and obey.

It reaches down into the deepest parts of our beings and helps us to truly know ourselves. It exposes and sifts and analyzes everything about us. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.  The Bible wasn’t concocted by humans just to start another religion. It resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to write it down, using their own personalities and styles.”  –paraphrased from Hebrews 4: 12 and 2 Peter 1: 20 and 21 in the Bible

To think about this month

I’ve loved and read books all my life, but the Bible is the only Book that loves me back!

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

The Familiar Stranger

What’s it all about?  What’s what all about?  The Bible.  That’s what what’s all about.  Is the Bible merely an ancient, outdated book that has no relevance in our modern times?  Is it just a book about the ancient history of the Mediterranean region?  Is the Bible primarily a religious book?  Doesn’t the Bible contain a lot of inconsistencies and contradictions?  Isn’t it like any other “sacred” book of other religions?  Isn’t it just a book of religious fairy tales?  Isn’t it just a book of do’s and don’ts?  Isn’t it just a religious textbook for Jews and Christians?

Does the Bible contain secret codes?  Is it a book that foretells the apocalyptic future and cataclysmic end of the world?  Is it a book containing a nice set of religious rules to live by?  Are weak-minded people deceived by the Bible and by television preachers who just want their money?  Do intelligent people really believe the Bible?  Aren’t people just deluded by the Bible?  Aren’t those who believe the Bible sort of simple-minded and narrow-minded, believing they’re right and everyone else is wrong?  Aren’t they kind of right-wing extremist fanatics?  Did God really give us the Bible?  Why?  What for?  What can the Bible do for me—if anything?

All of those questions—and many similar ones—have been asked by multitudes of people now, and for many centuries.  All of those are good questions asked by well-meaning people.  Portions of the Bible have been read for around 3,500 years.  The entire Bible in the format we have today has been around for 1,700 years or so.  What gives the Bible such staying power?   For centuries—and even in our times—some people have attempted to destroy and burn all Bibles.  Many people have died trying to preserve and protect the Bible.  Many   people   who believe   the Bible have  been imprisoned, tortured, and killed . . . even around the world today!  

All or parts of the Bible have been translated into over 3,500 languages.  The Bible is on CD, DVD, on television, on computers, on tablets, on smart phones and on other electronic devices.  Popular movies have been made based on the Bible.  In whatever “form” it takes, the Bible is still the most widely distributed book in human history.  Why?  Why?  Why?  I’m glad you asked.  I will devote several issues of The Traveler to attempt to answer lots of questions that have been asked about the Bible.

First, I’ll make a simple statement, and then take a few issues to elaborate and expand on my statement.  Here’s my simple statement:  

     The Old Testament portion of the Bible (written before the life and times of Jesus) is the prologue to the main story about Jesus in the first four books of the New Testament portion of the Bible.  The remainder of the Bible is the epilogue . . . without an end!

That’s it . . . In summation . . . Bottom line . . . Simply stated . . . In a nutshell . . . In conclusion . . . In one way or another, the entire Bible is about Jesus.  Period!

What?  Why?  Where?  When?

The Bible is not one large book beginning with chapter one and going chronologically through to the last page of the last chapter.      Rather, the Bible is a compilation of 66 small and large books (actually scrolls and letters) written by 40 authors over a period of 1,500 years.  For the most part, those 40 writers were just ordinary people like you and me.  Those 40 people were guided by God’s Spirit to write what He wanted them to write—using their own writing styles and personalities as they wrote.  The first “book” of the Bible was written approximately 3,500 years ago—1,500 years before Jesus—and the last book of the Bible was written about 30 years after his death and resurrection in 33 A.D.  

There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.  They’re not necessarily in chronological order.  Some of them are books of history, some of poetry, some of prophecy, some of biographical information, some of teaching, some a blending of various types of literature.  Some things written in the Bible are literal, some aren’t.  Some are clear, some aren’t.  

Just as any other literature does, the Bible uses various forms of writing:  hyperbole, metaphor, symbolism, parables, figurative language, etc.  As you study, you need to know from the context which forms of writing are being used at any given time.  The Old Testament is about God before the time of Jesus.  The New Testament is about Jesus and events in his life and in the lives of his followers for about 30 years after Jesus died, was resurrected, and returned to heaven.

The Bible was written in three languages:  Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  The Bible in its present form was compiled and completed about 400 years after the time of Jesus.  If you intend to be a serious student of the Bible, I strongly recommend you take the time and effort to memorize the names of the 66 books of the Bible so you can more readily look up things as you study the Bible.

The Bible is basically a book in which God takes the initiative in revealing himself to humankind.  God also reveals himself to us through Jesus.  The Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself to humankind; Jesus is God’s living revelation of Himself in human form.  If you want to know what God is really like, look at Jesus!  Symbolic hints and prophecies—alongside clear teachings—about Jesus are found in every book of the Bible.  And, Jesus, during his time here on earth, taught his disciples that the Old Testament was really all about him in veiled and shadowy form. 

The written word and the living Word blend and interact; they are interwoven together.  They are one.  If you dig deep enough you will find “Jesus in every book of the Bible.”  So . . . in veiled form Jesus can be found in each of the 39 books of the Old Testament.  And in clear form the 27 books of the New Testament are all about him.  One other minor matter.  Originally, the Bible was not divided into chapters and verses; those chapters and verses were added many years after the Bible was put together in its present form. 

How?

A person can know the Bible is the written Word of God only by means of one’s inner “faith-sense”; to one’s “outer” five senses the claim that the Bible is the written Word of God is foolish, illogical, and irrational.  You cannot understand the Bible by means of your five senses, mental abilities, and intellect alone, only by means of our “faith-sense” God dispenses to every human being.

God gave humankind the Bible primarily to transform our lives and restore us back into his clear image, an image marred and blurred because of our sin.  Yes, God uses the Bible to clean up our lives and make us more whole and complete persons as we read, study—and obey!—it.  Reading, studying—and obeying!—the Bible gives you wisdom, defined as comprehensive insight into God’s plans and purposes for all creation, for all humankind, and for you.  This leads to gaining a biblical worldview, as contrasted with a purely materialistic and naturalistic, secular worldview.  

A Story

On the “viewing screen” of your imagination, picture the following story based on some incidents in the New Testament portion of the Bible.

      “On the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem, Israel, Jesus was crucified 3 days ago, hastily buried in a borrowed tomb, and God raised Him from the dead yesterday, 72 hours after he had been killed.  This morning—the day after—two of his followers are fleeing from Jerusalem on foot for fear they, too, could be captured and killed.  The two disciples are on their way to a suburb of Jerusalem, the village of Emmaus about 7 miles away.  

As they are walking along, they are deep in conversation discussing the events of the previous few days.  Suddenly, in the midst of their conversation a person appears alongside them and asks what they’re so intently discussing.  He mentions they look like they had just lost their best friend.  The disciples ask the person if he’s a stranger to the area because he doesn’t seem to know about the momentous events of the past few days involving Jesus of Nazareth.  Everybody has been talking about what had happened to Jesus.   

      The stranger responded with an unusual   statement.  He asked them why they were so thick-headed and slow-hearted.  He asked why they didn’t understand that the entire Old Testament portion of the Bible taught about Jesus.  The stranger went on to explain that all the events concerning Jesus had been predicted and prophesied by all the Old Testament books.  He continued by explaining in great detail to the disciples all that the Old Testament scriptures taught about Jesus, beginning with Genesis clear through to the last book of the Old Testament by the prophet Malachi. He pointed out everything in the Old Testament that pertained to Jesus.    

      The three men draw near to the outskirts of Emmaus where they were staying and the stranger acts as if he is going to go farther.  The two disciples urge him to stay with them in Emmaus that night because it was getting dark and travel alone in the dark can be very dangerous.  The stranger decided to stay.  While they were eating supper, suddenly the eyes of the two disciples were opened and they understood the stranger was Jesus.  Immediately, Jesus disappeared!  Even though it was dark and dangerous to travel, the two disciples immediately left to return to Jerusalem; they didn’t waste a minute.  

When they arrived, they reported to Jesus’ closest eleven followers what had happened.  The two disciples of Jesus went over everything they had seen and heard . . . and explained that earlier while they were having supper together they recognized the stranger was Jesus.  While the two disciples were excitedly explaining all they had seen, heard, and experienced, suddenly Jesus appeared among them—right out of nowhere!       They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death.   He told all who were present not to be afraid and don’t let all those doubting questions take over.  He then asked all those who were present to touch him to ensure that they weren’t merely seeing an apparition.

      Sitting down to eat with them, Jesus then opened their understanding and explained to them all that the Old Testament scriptures taught about him.  He explained to them that something about him could be found in all 39 books of the Old Testament.  Then Jesus told all of them to remain where they were for a few days until their Father would bestow upon them the Holy Spirit as He had previously promised.” 

To be continued next month 

      “God’s Word, the Bible, is LIFE-giving, energizing, and full of God’s power.  It’s sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel, penetrating and cutting through everything—right down to the deepest parts of our being, laying us open to listen and obey.  It exposes and sifts and analyzes everything about us. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word.  We can’t get away from it—no matter what.   The Bible wasn’t concocted by humans.  It resulted when Holy Spirit prompted men and women to write it down, using their own personalities and styles.” – paraphrased from Hebrews 4: 12 and  1 Peter 1: 21 in the Bible

To think about this month

God’s Word, the Bible, will keep me from self-centered and self-absorbed sin . . . or sin will keep me from the Bible! 

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services
E-mail:  leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

Continued from last month

This issue contains 4 pages instead of the usual 3

 One of the verses of the song “Amazing Grace” states: “’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved.” I think I understand what the song’s author meant by those words, but it bothers me that people might actually be afraid of God.

We don’t need to be afraid of God because He loves all of us and extends to all of us his amazing love and grace, flowing out of eternity into each of our lives.

But . . . the Bible does teach about “the fear of God” with a different meaning than being afraid of God.  The fear of God taught in the Bible means “to recognize God’s power, majesty, and holiness, causing us to have a repugnance  of evil and a desire to do good.” That’s what the fear of God means in the Bible.  That type of the fear of God is a “good” type of fear which causes us to want to live lives that please God . . . because He is altogether good and absolutely everything He does is good.  Because God’s goodness is part of his core character and nature, He is always working everything out for everyone’s ultimate good.

Grace Leads Us Home

Another verse in the song states: “ . . . grace will lead me home.” The ongoing theme of The Traveler has always been that we are pilgrims on a journey through this life to our ultimate destination, our true Home in Jesus’ Kingdom.  The end of this mortal life for each of us is not really the end; it’s really the beginning of our immortal lives in Jesus’ Kingdom throughout coming eons of time, and then—when time ends—in the eternal state of being:  our True Home to which we are all journeying through this life.  And it’s God’s love and grace—working in and through each of our lives—that lead us home, as the song states. Yes, amazing grace is leading us Home.

A Strong Rope

 The Bible makes this simple statement: “A three-stranded rope is not easily broken.” This statement generates many thoughts in my mind.  As you read and study this issue of The Traveler, I’ll bethinking about—and writing about—a three-stranded rope of God’s love, grace, and truth.  These three attributes of God’s character and nature are a strong, tightly braided cord which God uses to draw all humans to Himself.  The Bible states that God is continually drawing every person to Himself through Jesus.  He is drawing everyone to Himself just as a powerful magnet inexorably draws iron filings to itself.

For example, Jesus exclaimed: “If I am lifted up [on the cross], I will draw every person to myself. I believe that statement; I take that statement at face value.  Yes, in ways that only God knows about, He is pulling every human on earth to Himself.  Some people have to be “dragged” with heel marks all the way.  Other people are drawn more easily and more willingly because they more readily accept God’s love, grace, and truth by which He is pulling them to Himself.

Grace Works

By grace, we first come to believe in our hearts all that God has done for us through Jesus. In fact, the Bible teaches that it is God’s great grace that first helps us believe the “Good News” of all that God has done for us through Jesus.  When we believe in our hearts all that God has accomplished on our behalf, that is called being “born again.”  Once we have been born again, then By reading and studying the Bible, applying it to our lives, using it to transform our lives with God’s inner power, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.

Just As If . . .

As we begin to grow as newly born again believers in Jesus, we then come to understand we are “justified” by grace. What does that mean?  Here’s a simple way of understanding it:  “justify” means that God treats us just as if we had never sinned against Him by leading self-centered and self-absorbed lives.  Realizing that God does not hold our sin against us helps us to want to transform our lives with his inner power.  Realizing that God treats us just as if we’d never sinned causes us to want to live our lives in ways that please Him.  Not that we can live perfect lives during this life.  No, but we can live lives that increasingly please God more and more as we “apply” his empowering grace to our lives.

Living By Grace

 The Bible also teaches we live “under grace” (or by grace) instead of under the laws of God.The Old Testament laws of God were like a tutor that caused us to understand Jesus and all He has done for us.  Grace helps us understand we now live under new laws such as the “laws” of liberty and freedom through Jesus.  The Old Testament laws bring guilt and condemnation; the new laws of liberty and freedom help us live lives that please God—not because we are commanded to or ordered to, but because we want to.

Riches Of Grace

The Bible also teaches about the “riches” of God’s grace. What does that mean? First of all, it does not mean riches in terms of money and wealth. It means that God abundantly furnishes everything we need (not necessarily what we want) to live fruitful lives that please Him and help others in our world—our sphere of influence.  Yes, God’s riches of grace mean we are well-supplied with everything we need to live good and godly lives that please God and serve others.  Not perfect lives, but good lives with meaning and purpose.

Managers of God’s Grace

The Bible also teaches we are “stewards” or managers of God’s grace.hink of it this way .  .  .  God has an infinite “storehouse” of grace; think of the largest Sam’s Club store you can possibly imagine with rows and rows of goods stacked higher than you can see and extending in long rows farther than you can see.  We are managers of that infinite “storehouse” of God’s grace, “dispensing” his grace to others as we are guided and directed by God’s Spirit within us.  How do we dispense that grace?  First of all, by simply living our lives in such a manner that people can see Jesus in our skin, drawing them to Himself through us.

We also dispense grace by praying for other people.  Prayer is not the least we can do for others; it’s the best and most we can do for others.  Most of the time we really don’t know what other people’s real needs are.  But God does.  And as we pray for others, we “release” God’s grace into their lives to meet their real needs.

Spirit of Grace

The Bible teaches that God’s Spirit who came to live inside us when we invited Jesus into our lives is the “Spirit of grace.”  As He empowers us from within to live our daily lives among and around other people, we need to “release” Him from within us to reach out to others in supernatural ways only He can do.  Since He is the Spirit of grace, when we release Him from within us to meet the needs of others in our worlds, He will always do so with grace. 

He will never reach out to others through us with condemnation, negativity, or guilt!  That’s just not who He is.  And that must not be who we are, either.  Our lives need to be grace-filled lives in order for others to see God in our lives—living his own supernatural LIFE in us, as us, with us, for us, and through us!  By God’s grace, He created each of us.  By his grace He saved each of us.  His grace is leading and guiding us on our lifelong journey through this all—too-brief life.  And—at long last!—his grace will lead us safely through wide open gates into our True Homeland.

Amazing grace!  How sweet the sound!

Personal Insight

I want to close this month’s issue by sharing with you something personal—something only close friends have known about me . . . until now; I hope this personal disclosure might be helpful and encouraging to you for many years to come.  Almost every year I spend the entire month of December taking extra time to pray, partially fast, and read my Bible.

Why?  So that I can “hear” from God about what plans and purposes He has in store for me for the upcoming year.  Let me give you some recent examples.       In December 2010, God informed me that 2011 would be a year of “breakthroughs.”  It was!  In very significant ways.  “Breakthrough” is defined as “a strikingly important advance.”  During December 2011, God asked me in 2012 to “launch out into the deep and lower my nets.”  (an incident from Luke 5 in the Bible)  I was obedient to God to the best of my ability and “caught” a lot of new “fish” in my nets.

Throughout December 2012, God informed me He would re-open his “Bill-Storehouse” for both old and new teachings that would significantly   encourage and inspire my hearers and readers.  The definition of “storehouse” is “a place where goods of value are stored awaiting distribution.”  Last December, here’s what God told me about this year:  “Bill, throughout 2014 I want you to know and experience—then teach—Good News about my saving, transforming grace.  I want 2014 to be a year of abounding grace in your life and in the lives of others within your sphere of influence.” So far this year, 

I’m experiencing God’s grace in a profound, new manner.  To me, the question is never “Does God speak to people—to me?”  Rather, the real question we should be asking is twofold:  “When is there ever a time when God is not speaking to me?”  And, “Am I listening?”  God generally speaks to people from within us where He abides in his unbodied form of Holy Spirit.  And, He generally speaks to us in five ways.  I don’t mean to limit Him to these five ways; He can speak to humans in any way He chooses.

Here are those five ways He generally speaks to us from within us:

1. As we read, study, and meditate upon the Bible.
2. He implants and imbeds his thoughts and ideas within our own thoughts.
3. He shows us dreams, visions, pictures, and images on “the viewing screen” of our spirit and in our creative imaginations.
4. He speaks to us through strong but gentle impressions, nudgings, and urgings.
5. Through speaking in tongues and the immediate interpretation afterwards.

What is God saying to YOU about the year 2014?What has God told you He plans to do in YOUR life this year?What plans and purposes does He have in store for you and your loved ones for 2014?

                   “God’s forgiveness is now made known to everyone.  Full salvation by God’s grace is available for everyone!   Part of our salvation is being shown how to turn our backs on a self-centered, self-absorbed life, and how to take on a God-honoring, God-filled life.This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus, will return.Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into a good and godly life, turning us into people He is proud of, whole and complete people full of inner power.” — Titus 2: 11 – 13, paraphrased

To Think About This Month

“Having been justified by God’s amazing grace, we are heirs of all God freely gives us, including his own eternal LIFE!”

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

 Amaze:  To be filled with great surprise or sudden wonder.  To be astonished.

So . . . what’s so amazing about amazing grace?  Is grace—God’s grace—really that astonishing and wonderful?  Or are those simply well-known words to a song?  Throughout the entire realm of “Christendom” there probably aren’t many people who haven’t  heard all or part of the famous song, “Amazing Grace,” written by a former slave trader, John Newton, in 1779.  Most of us have sung or heard the song so often that we no longer consider God’s grace as amazing and wonderful.  Just as a lot of people don’t really know the definition of “amazing” as I wrote it above, I almost would be willing to bet that a vast number of people don’t really know the definition of “grace,” either.

Many people who are believers in the Bible and Jesus talk and sing about grace, but many don’t know what it really means.  How about you?  Give me a definition of grace.  Yep.  Right now.  What is grace?  I think probably a definition that many of you might come up with is a little acronym often learned in church or church school:  GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.  While that simple little definition is true, there is more—much more!—to grace.  Grace is a many-faceted attribute of God.  It’s more many-sided than an exquisite cut diamond. Let’s examine what God’s grace really is all about.

How Sweet the Sound

In both the Old Testament and New Testament portions of the Bible, the English word “grace” comes from a word in the Hebrew language and a word in the Greek language—the original languages in which the Bible was written.  The word grace and its derivative words occur almost 200 times throughout the entire Bible.

In the Hebrew language, grace is defined as “the unearned love and favor of God toward us.” It means “the incredibly extravagant generosity of God in our lives.”  In the Greek language, grace is defined as a “free gift from God to all humankind.” It also includes the concepts of “God’s aggressive forgiveness toward us and the abundant freedom He grants us.”  If you put those two definitions together and “amplify” them, grace means that God loves all humanity so much that He lavishes upon us his extravagant, unearned and undeserved favor simply as a free gift, including total forgiveness and authentic spiritual freedom in and through Jesus.

God’s grace also carries the meaning of God’s decency towards us, his thoughtfulness towards us, and his eternal goodwill toward all humanity.  So . . . God’s grace really is amazing grace, isn’t it!?  And to think God loves us so much that He lavishes it upon us freely and eternally.  It’s not merely a one-time event when God once gave us his grace.  It’s an ongoing, eternal “pouring out” of grace through all the coming eons of time, and—after time ends—in the eternal state of being.  As the well-known Energizer Bunny television commercial informs us over and over, grace just keeps flowing and flowing to us forever.

Here’s how an old song puts it:

“Love and grace like mighty rivers
flow unceasing from above.
And heaven’s peace 
and perfect justice
kiss a guilty world with love!”

That Saved a Wretch Like Me

Many people don’t like the word “saved” very much when they read about it or hear it spoken in terms of their spiritual condition.  They feel it’s pretty presumptuous of God or Bible-believers to think that anyone might need “saved.”  “Saved from what?” many ask?  “Why do I need saved?” they question.  The Bible teaches Jesus came to “save” people from their sin-full condition.  Everyone sins:  you, me, everyone.

 What is sin?  I know the theological, biblical definition of sin.  But, the most “workable” definition I use is:  we sin when we make conscious choices and decisions to live self-centered, self-absorbed lives instead of God-filled, God-centered lives.  How about you?  Have you ever made such choices or decisions?  Even once?  If you have, you’re a sinner.  And Jesus came to save you from that sinful condition.  That’s what it means to be saved.

When Jesus died on the cross 2,000 years ago, He saved you from the penalty of sin.  When God’s power raised Him from the dead and brought Him back to life 72 hours later, He saved you from the power of sin.  When Jesus returns to earth as He promised, He will save you from the presence of sin.  That’s the complete “package deal” of what it means to be saved.

But John Newton’s song goes on to state God “. . . saved a wretch like me.”  Wow!  Even more people recoil at that word wretch in John Newton’s song.  It’s not a word we use much these days.  In fact, it’s kind of a distasteful word.  What does the word mean?    “A person in miserable distress or misfortune.” You may be thinking:  “That’s not me.  I’m not miserable, I’m not in distress, I’m not unfortunate.”  Good for you.  But here’s the deal:  you were once a lost and blind wretch.  Any human without a vital, thriving, personal relationship with God through Jesus is a wretch. But you are no longer a lost and blind wretch.  Why?

Because God has replaced your old, lost and blind wretchedness with Jesus’ righteousness.  God no longer sees you as a wretch, but as a well-loved son or daughter “clothed” with Jesus’ righteousness.  What does lost and blind mean?  What does that have to do with me?  Good questions.  The Bible teaches that because of sin, all humanity was once lost.  Not lost in the sense that you lose some money, but lost in the sense of being separated or estranged from God because of our sin.

 God took the initiative to search for and “find” all lost humanity.  We got lost by choosing to be totally self-centered and self-absorbed, leaving God out of our lives.  As mentioned earlier, basically that’s what sin is:  we sin when we make deliberate choices and decisions to live self-centered and self-absorbed lives instead of God-filled, God-centered lives.  Just as we deliberately choose to live self-centered and self-absorbed lives, we must deliberately choose to live God-centered lives . . . beginning with inviting Jesus to take up permanent residence in our lives.

We do that when we invite Him to come in and take over our lives in his “unbodied form” of Holy Spirit.  When we invite Him into our lives, He comes in, permanently fuses and melds with our inner spirits, and then continues to live within us for all the eons of time and in eternity.  Once He comes into our lives—at our invitation!—He then begins the process of empowering us to transform our lives to become more and more God-centered . . . no longer lost and blind wretches needing salvation, but saved, righteous sons and daughters of God being progressively restored into God’s clear image in us.

And . . . God’s grace—flowing from God’s love for us—starts that transformation process.  Grace is not merely a religious word sung and talked about by those who believe in the Bible and in Jesus.  Rather, grace is a “force” or a “power” God uses to save us and then empower us to transform our lives.  Have you received God’s amazing grace and begun your brand-new life freely offered to you by God because of all Jesus has done for you?  I’m not writing about religion.  I’m writing about a relationship with God through Jesus.  Do you have a relationship with God?  If not, God’s amazing grace starts that relationship when you invite Jesus into your life and are born again.

How Grace “Works”

Okay, we’ve looked and the definition of grace.  We know it’s a Bible word, and we now have some understanding of what it really means.  But what does grace “do”?  How does grace “work”?  How does it really have an impact on our lives?  Let’s begin with God—on his throne.  If you were to ask most people what they’re envisioning when they imagine God on his throne, most people will likely respond that God’s throne is a throne of judgment.  They feel God sits on his throne somewhere off in heaven dispensing his wrath and judgment on sinful humans.  Not true!  All of God’s wrath and judgment upon sinful humans was poured out on Jesus, the God-human, 2,000 years ago, and God ain’t mad at no one no more!

God’s throne is not a throne of judgment.  The Bible teaches it is a throne of grace where we can go to ask God for help when we need it.  And . . . the Bible teaches that the foundations of God’s throne of grace are righteousness and justice.  The Bible defines justice as “God making all things right.”  The Bible teaches God is love.  Love is his core character and nature.  From his nature of love, He pours out upon us His love . . . and grace, a “component” of His love.

Envision Niagara Falls on the border of Canada and USAmerica.  The force of the water cascading over the edge of the cliffs is a picture of God’s grace.  Alive.  Unending.  If “harnessed,” able to exert power far beyond what we can imagine.  Grace doesn’t merely flow from God’s throne to each of us; it overflows!  It gushes into our lives, but it does us no good unless we receive it, unless we reach out and grasp it, unless we make God’s love and grace integral parts of our daily lives.

I urge you to give up your false belief that God is mad at you, just waiting to strike you with the lightning bolts of his wrath every time you “mess up.”  It’s not the horrors of a hellish afterlife, nor detailing God’s wrath, nor rehearsing his judgments that draw people to Him.  No!  People are drawn to God when they hear of his goodness and grace and all He has done for them through Jesus.  Learning of the love, grace, and goodness of God causes people to turn away from their sin-full condition and turn toward God.

Embrace God’s Grace!

Do you ever feel you’ve been so sin-full that you’re beyond the reach of God’s grace?  Don’t believe that lie!  The Bible clearly teaches God extends his grace to every human.  No one can ever be beyond the reach of God’s grace.  Like the love of God, grace is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.  Yes, the unlimited love of God and his unending grace shall forevermore endure—far beyond the words of popular songs we sing.  Yes, grace—overflowing from God’s heart of love—extends to every human ever born on planet earth.  No one—including you!—can ever be beyond the reach of God’s grace.

As an old, Bible-based hymn puts it:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
There on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where Jesus’ blood was spilled!
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that pardons and cleanses within!
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

We’ll continue this teaching about grace next month.

                     “Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in the eons of time to come, and beyond those eons in the eternal state of being.  Saving us from sin is all his idea, and all his work.  All we do is trust him enough to let him do it.  It’s God’s gift from start to finish!  

We don’t play the major role.  If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing!  No, we neither make nor save ourselves.  God does both the making and the saving.  He created us to save us by his love and grace to join him in the work he does, the good work he planned for us to do long before he ever created anything.”  –Ephesians 2: 8-10 in the New Testament (Adapted from The Message Bible)

To Think About This Month

“God’s mercy means I don’t get what I deserve.  God’s grace means I get what I don’t deserve!”

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc.
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

Those of us who read The Traveler celebrate the beginning of the next year in the middle of the bleak, dark winter.  Other readers from various locations around the world celebrate the coming of the new year in the spring (or near the spring).  That seems more reasonable to me because that’s when new life bursts forth all over:  new leaves on trees, flowers springing up, newly born baby animals, ice breaking on rivers and lakes . . .  In my own mind, I always feel spring is actually the beginning of the new year, even though our culture celebrates it in the dark, cold winter.  As Anne and I look back at the 365 days called 2013, it’s been a mixture of both good and bad for us.  How about you?  How was the year 2013 for you?     We’re trusting God that the best of 2013 will be the worst of 2014!

In some ways, we can actually cooperate with God in “co-creating” the 365 days we call 2014.  God exists outside all the limitations of time and space; to God, everything is always absolutely simultaneous.  God already knows everything that will happen in 2014.  But we don’t.  We humans are trapped inside the limitations of time and space where everything is always fluid, always changing, never staying the same.  We have no clue what might happen throughout 2014.  

God has given us the amazing capacity to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.  Within that relationship, we also have the capacity to make choices and decisions:  good or bad.  On a day-to-day basis throughout the 365 days we call 2014, we can cooperate with God in building and forming our own future.  Oh, we can’t totally create things from nothing as only God is able to do, but we can co-create our futures in cooperation with Him, knowing God is altogether good and absolutely everything He does is good.

No, everything that happens to  us during 2014 may not be  good, but  God   can always work out absolutely everything for our ultimate good . . . if we will simply cooperate with Him in working out his good plans and purposes for our lives.

Choices and Decisions

Throughout each of our lifetimes, changes usually come when we make small and large choices and decisions moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year.  Most meaningful and lasting changes occur first in our spirits, then in our core beliefs and thoughts, then in our attitudes, and then in our behavior.  Meaningful and lasting changes begin on the inside of each of us and then work their way out into our outward actions and behavior.

Beware of anyone who tells you to change or modify your behavior first and then change will work its way inside you.  Nope!  It doesn’t work that way.  Never has.  Never will.  And, of course, the best way to make such inner changes is with the strong power of God’s Holy Spirit Who lives inside us.  He is Jesus in his unbodied other form.  It’s a rare person who makes genuine, lasting changes inside  himself or herself without the inner power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Consequences

I don’t want to insult your intelligence, but you do know, don’t you, that every decision and choice you make in life has consequences?  The consequences may be good or bad, negative or positive, but there are always consequences.  What types of choices and decisions have you already made at the very gateway of 2014?  They always . . . always . . . always . . . always have consequences.  Guaranteed.  A famous leader and army General named Joshua who lived about 3,500 years ago was faced with some tough decisions and choices at one point in his life.  Almost all the people he led and commanded seemed to be making wrong  choices to worship and serve lifeless gods and idols; Joshua knew what the dire consequences of such decisions would be.

He talked things over with his family and then proclaimed:  “As for me and my family, today we choose to serve only the one true and living God!”  He was saying he and his family would not choose to serve lifeless gods and idols, they would not choose to follow what seemed to be the “popular” religious trends of that era.  They chose to love and serve the living God.  They chose to have an intimate relationship with the true and living God.

How about you—here at the beginning of 2014? Are you choosing to serve only yourself?  Are you choosing yourself, your family, your friends, your money, your “toys”?   Or are you making quality decisions to serve and love God foremost during 2014?  Are you serving a “dead” religion or church?  Are you trying to impress God with how holy you are?  Are you choosing to be one of those “holier-than-thou” religious hypocrites people around you talk about?  If so, you’re not fooling anyone but yourself; everyone around you knows what you’re really like.  It’s a matter of your choices and decisions . . . and their consequences.

          You decide.  You choose. Realize every choice and decision you make throughout 2014 will have good or bad, positive, or negative consequences!

Here we are in early 2014.  Christmas is over and you don’t have even a dime left to give yourself even one gift.  But you won’t need money for the gifts I’m writing about.  Jesus instructed us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Who are our neighbors?  Are they simply the people who live next door to us?  Or across the street?  The Bible defines “neighbor” as “someone who is close to me.” 

So . . . my neighbor is anyone who is close to me:  geographically, physically, spiritually, or relationally.  No, a neighbor is not necessarily the person who lives next door—but it can be.  A neighbor can even be someone who lives far away geographically, but close relationally.  For example, we have some close “neighbors” who live half a world and continent away in China and New York City.  A neighbor can be a family member, a friend far away, someone next door, a brother or sister anywhere in God’s worldwide family:  anyone who fits the Bible’s definition of “someone close to me.”

Actually my point here is not so much who my neighbor is.  My point is we’re not to love our neighbors in place of ourselves, or instead of ourselves.  We’re to love them as we love ourselves—in the same manner and to the same degree we love ourselves.  Stop trying to avoid facing yourself and not loving yourself by attempting to love others in place of yourself.  Until you honestly love and accept yourself, any love you devote to others is diminished and even wasted sometimes.  

Of course, you can love yourself only when you understand that God loves you with all his love, all his favor, all his grace just as you are—the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Your greatest gift you can give yourself in 2014 is to love and accept yourself in the same manner and to the same degree God loves you.  Love yourself “as is,” knowing you are a work in progress by God to fully restore you into his image over time.

The Image of God

God’s image means you are a visible representation of the invisible God.  Sin has marred and blurred and smudged God’s image in you, but He is in the lifelong process of restoring you into his clear image.  So . . . accept yourself just as God does.  Be easy on yourself.  Accept the mistakes you will make in 2014 as merely being stepping stones to future successes.  You’re not a failure.  Sure, you’ll fail many times in 2014, but you’re not a failure.

You Will Not Be A Failure in 2014

 People are not failures; failures are events which occur in our lives.  No, we are not failures!  Lighten up in 2014.  Live a little.  Laugh a little.  Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Give yourself the gift of loving yourself.  Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying: “Most people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”  Also, why not try to learn once and for all in 2014 that God doesn’t depend on you alone to“defend” Him or defend the truth.  You are not his sole spokesperson on planet earth.  You’re not his only “defender of the faith.”  You’re not his only witness running around frantically trying to convince people to receive Jesus into their lives.

Believe it or not, there are 7+ billion people on planet earth who don’t even know you exist.  Yuh can’t win ‘em all!  God and Jesus are perfectly capable of drawing people into a vital relationship with themselves without you.  True, in Jesus, God has selected you to accomplish certain portions of his plans and purposes for all humankind, but you, personally, are not the savior of humankind, nor of your friends, nor of your family, nor of your neighbors.  God is the sole Savior of humankind through Jesus!  Take some walks this year.  Spend time with your family.  Skip a rock across a lake.  Hold a cat on your lap and pet it for a few moments.  Join hands and skip through a park with someone.

Another tip:  if you’re too busy as you enter 2014, unbusy yourself.  You cannot say “Yes” to God, to life, to your church, to your family, to your work, until you learn to say “No” to the unessentials. Always be careful not to be significantly engaged in that which is not significant!  Learn to live in 2014 on a “choose to” or “want to” basic rather than on a “have to” basis.  You may engage in many good things, but remember the good is always the enemy of the best!

Turn your life around in 2014.  You have the strong inner power of the Holy Spirit to change key areas of your life.  Become a victor instead of a victim in 2014.  Be a power-full self-changer in 2014.

Change and Transformation in 2014

2014 won’t have all the qualities of God in it, though.  Learn to recognize the differences between God and life on this planet.  Life is life.  God is God.  Don’t confuse the two.  Life will not always be fair.  Life will not always be good.  Life will always be changing.  Life will always be full of a certain amount of dis-stress.  But God is fair.  God is good.  God never changes.  God is serene and free of stress. 

Learn to tap into God in 2014.  Learn to see that God filters all the events of your life through His love and grace for you.  Speaking of some of God’s qualities, try to learn once and for all during 2014 that, although God is always and ever good, not all the people He has created are good.  Yes, He has created us humans in his image, but some humans grossly distort that image.

During 2014 learn that God’s goodness is often overshadowed by our own self-centered badness.  You can’t change the badness in others, but you can change it in you with the inner power of the Holy Spirit.  Frankly, I grow weary of people who tell me they keep praying and praying for God to change them.  You’re wasting your time.  You need to change yourself with the inner power of Holy Spirit!

 God has already given you power to change yourself—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is inside you right this moment as you enter 2014!  Yes, for 2014 give yourself a gift of a changed and transformed you.  You can’t permanently change and transform yourself without the inner power of Holy Spirit.  If you will learn to rely upon the inner power of Holy Spirit as you attempt to make changes in your life, I predict that 2014 will be the most successful and prosperous year of your life thus far.

“I know what I’m doing. I have 2014 all thought out–to take care of you, not abandon you, to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me . . . I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.  I’ll turn things around for you in 2014.” –God, Jeremiah 29: 11- 14, paraphrased

To Think About This month

“I pray that the best I’ve experienced  during 2013 will be the worst I will experience throughout 2014!”

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

You do know, don’t you, that Jesus was most likely not born on December 25^th? He was most likely born either in the late spring or early fall.  The date of December 25^th was borrowed a long time ago from a winter festival celebrated by the ancient Romans.  But the actual date really is not that important. 

The important thing is that a real person named Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in the land of Israel 2,000 years ago.  His birth mother was Mary.  His birth Father was God; his stepfather was Joseph from the village of Nazareth; he was a woodworker and carpenter.  Jesus had some real half brothers and sisters.  In brief, Jesus was a real person who was born, lived, and died by execution as a criminal at age 33.

Those are all facts which can be proved historically and archaeologically to any open-minded person.  But the facts don’t stop there.  An additional fact is that after He was killed and buried, 72 hours later he was brought back to life by the power of God the Holy Spirit.  After that, He returned to heaven and will come to earth the second time to inaugurate and establish the Kingdom of God on earth.  Christmas, then, is about not only Jesus’ birth, but it’s also about his life, death, resurrection from the dead, his ascension to heaven, and his future return to earth.  Christmas is a “package deal”; it’s not about only one part of the story—his birth—but about all the other events about Jesus that together comprise the Gospel, the “Good News” about God’s total and complete salvation for all humanity.

Merry Christmas!

I know!  I know!  To be “politically correct” here in USAmerica, we’re not supposed   to    greet   people   with “Merry Christmas” these days.   The word “Christ” seems to offend a lot of people.  Did you know “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name.  It’s his title, meaning “Messiah,” (“anointed Savior”).  In fact, I seldom use the two words “Jesus Christ” together.

I simply call Him by his first name, Jesus—as I would call any good friend.  Anyhow, even though this greeting is not politically correct, I’m still writing it to you:   “Merry Christmas!” So there . . .  Let the political correctness police come and arrest me!  Slowly but surely Christmas is fading from our culture, being replaced by such counterfeits as “Winter Holiday” and “Celebration of the Winter Solstice.”

God of the Now

 God transcends the four known dimensions of time and space, “residing” in a hyperdimensional, transdimensional, or polydimensional “place” or “state of being” called eternity.  In fact, current science tells us there are many more dimensions than only the four we live in.  Some physicists say there are at least 10 dimensions . . . or many more. 

God transcends all of them, no matter how many there are.  God dwells “outside” of and “above” our time and space dimensions so that past, present, and future are all equally simultaneous to Him.  For God, everything is always “now.”  That being the case, from God’s eternal perspective his coming to earth as a human baby    is   forever occurring    “now”—as    well     as 2,000 years ago.  The past, present, and future aspects of time are not limitations to God as they are to us.

 Time had a beginning and it will have an end.  God created time so we humans could “number our days” and learn to live in a personal relationship with God during our earthly journeys.  From God’s perspective in eternity, the entire life span of Jesus—his conception by the Holy Spirit, his birth from a virgin mother, his sinless life, his cruel death, his resurrection from the dead, and his return to heaven—are always “now.”  

So God gets to celebrate Christmas all the time—allwhere and allwhen . . . pastward, now, and futureward!  And we can celebrate it all our days and years, too . . . if we choose to.  God is continually—always and ever—pouring out his love to all humanity—from a manger in a stable in Bethlehem, from a cross on a hill outside Jerusalem, from an empty tomb, and from his throne of grace in eternity.  God’s throne is a throne of grace, not of judgment.  The “foundations” of God’s throne are righteousness and justice.

Here’s a paraphrased version of some words from a Celtic song:

Love and grace, like mighty rivers
Flow unceasing from above.
And heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kiss a guilty world with love!

Let’s not limit God to some events that happened in our four-dimensional time and space 2,000 years ago.  Let’s not limit Jesus to a baby in a manger in a hillside stable 2,000 years ago.  Yes, we celebrate our Saviour’s birth each December 25th, but we can also celebrate it daily throughout the year.

Immanuel

You’ve heard Jesus called—or named—Immanuel, haven’t you?  The word is sometimes spelled with an “E” as the first letter.  Immanuel is found in Matthew 1: 23, in the New Testament portion of the Bible, quoting from Isaiah 7: 14, in the Old Testament portion of the Bible.  Immanuel is a Bible word meaning “God is fully present with us.” But it doesn’t refer only to when Jesus was born that God became “with us” as God in human form.  No, it means that since the time of Jesus God is with us in the sense that He is now always fully present with us . . . and in us.  

Yes, God is always with us, living inside us in his “unbodied form” of Holy Spirit.  He is fully present with us now during this mortal stage of our journey.  He will be fully present with us when we die.  And He will always be in us and with us in the eons of time to come and in the eternal state after the universe and the earth are freshly renovated and restored by God.  So . . . because God is always fully present with us and in us, we, too, can join God in celebrating Christmas all year long.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Gift Giving

What gifts do you hope to receive for Christmas this year?  What presents do you plan to give for Christmas this year?  How much will you be spending?  How much can you honestly afford to spend?  Why do we practice Christmas gift-giving in the first place?  Oh, I know all about Saint Nicholas . . . and how the wise men brought gifts to Jesus when He was a toddler . . . and how gift-giving at Christmas has just “always been done.”  But has it?  Really?  Wanna know when gift-giving by God’s people actually began?  I’m glad you asked.

Gift-giving as we know it today—from a biblical perspective—actually began about 2,500 years ago during the time of Queen Esther in the Old Testament.  After God delivered Queen Esther and the Israelites of that day from an evil plot to kill all of them, they celebrated “with days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.” (Esther 9: 22).  500 years before Jesus was born, God’s people began giving gifts to one another and presents to the poor!

But if our custom of giving gifts to others at Christmas began with the wise men giving gifts to Jesus, why do we give gifts to one another?  Why don’t we still give gifts to Jesus—instead of to one another? After all, whose birthday is it?  Aren’t we supposed to give birthday gifts to the one whose birthday we are celebrating?

A Shift in our Thinking

Maybe we need a radical shift in our thinking about who we should be giving birthday gifts to this time of year.  Maybe we need to give gifts to Jesus and to the poor instead of to relatives and friends.  Maybe we’re missing something by what we’re doing.  Maybe we need to change something—beginning this year.  Jesus said on one occasion that there will always be poor people.  I take that at face value.  I believe there will always be poor people, both in this life and in the age to come after Jesus returns to establish his Kingdom here on earth with his universal headquarters in Jerusalem.  Some folks teach that after Jesus returns to earth, He will instantly make all things new with a snap of his fingers.  I believe another view.

 I firmly believe the Bible teaches that it will take a minimum of 1,000 years for Jesus to lay the groundwork for ushering in a fully restored universe and earth before we enter into a state of being called eternity.

Jesus Begins to Change Everything!

For example, I believe it will take at least a few centuries after Jesus returns for Him to firmly take control of all earth’s governmental entities.  It will be the same with earth’s educational systems.  And dismantling earth’s military-industrial establishments, turning all of that vast industry into peaceful purposes.  And restructuring all earth’s economic systems, finally beginning to truly eradicate poverty once and for all.  Having said that, the poor will continue to exist on this planet for a long time to come.  Jesus expects those who “have” to help those who “have not.”

 So . . . during this Christmas season, why not give gifts to the poor around you?  No one is so poor that they cannot locate someone nearby who is just a little poorer.  Jesus said in Matthew 25 if we aid and assist those who are less well off than we are, that is the same as serving Him.  How much money are you planning to spend on gifts to others this Christmas?  Even putting some of it on your credit card that you won’t be able to pay off for months?

Joy In Giving

I guarantee you will find much more joy in giving if you will give to the poor rather than spend money you don’t even have for gifts no one uses.  Or for gifts that are used for only a short while and then just tossed aside on a pile in the attic, garage, or basement with last year’s Christmas gifts.  You and I cannot eradicate poor-dom from planet earth—at least not until after Jesus returns.  Only King Jesus can—and will—eradicate poor-dom after He returns to fully establish his Kingdom on earth.

But . . . we can help one poor person or one poor family in our locale during this Christmas season.  I guarantee that not very far from you wherever you live on this planet, there is at least one poor person or family you can help with gifts in Jesus’ Name!  It’s Jesus birthday; let’s give our gifts to Him instead of to one another!  You may be protesting, “What will people think!  What will my children say?  What will my family think? We’ve already bought most of our presents?  I’ve already charged everything to my credit card.  I’ve placed lots of things on layaway at K-Mart.”  Here’s  my  response  to  all  those   excuses:  “S-o-o-o-o! 

Who are you trying to please, God or people?” Return those things.  Get your money back.  Remove things from layaway.  Talk things over with your family.  Find a poor person or family in your locale.  Bless them richly this Christmas day!  Spread your joy.  Bless someone poor in the Name of Jesus.  Make God happy.  He will take great delight in your new approach to Christmas gift-giving.

          Give gifts to Jesus this year and all your years to come!  Remember, He is always fully present with us and in us!

“For a child has been born—for us!  The gift of a Son—for us!  [When He returns] He’ll take over running the world . . .   His rule over earth will spread, and the peace He establishes will be limitless.”  –Isaiah, the Old Testament

To think About This Month

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”   —Jim Elliott, missionary killed in 1956

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

The next three sentences are fundamental, true statements about humans:  1.  the three basic human needs are food, clothing, and shelter.  2.  In the Bible, God promises to supply all our needs, not necessarily our wants.  3.  But, sometimes our needs and our wants are one and the same.  We all need to learn to clearly distinguish between our needs and our wants!  On what basis does God promise to supply all our needs?  Why does God do that for us?  What motivates Him?  Is He really interested in furnishing all our needs?  How does He supply all our needs?           God’s eternal love for all of us motivates Him.  God “proved” his love for us by sending Jesus to die on our behalf and become the “channel” through which God supplies all our needs.

In its distilled essence, God’s amazing salvation through Jesus has rescued humanity from a fiery afterlife.  But God’s salvation for us encompasses so much more—so very much more!—than merely rescuing us from death and its aftermath.  Our salvation also includes eternal LIFE with God, true biblical success and prosperity, having all our genuine needs met, whole-person healing and health, a deepening relationship with God, connectedness with all other believers in Jesus pastward, now, and futureward, inner strength for daily living, freedom from addictions and from our past . . . and so much more!  Part of God’s entire salvation “package” for you is to meet your authentic needs through Jesus.

Your Attitudes

For your whole-person, full-package-deal salvation, how thank-full are you?  What are you thank-full for?  How do  you  show   your thank-fullness?  To whom are you thank-full?  Thank-fullness is an attitude.  We are not born with attitudes.  They are learned . . . and can be unlearned and replaced with new attitudes.  Instead of attitudes of complaining, moaning, and ungratefulness, how about learning to replace such attitudes with thank-fullness? 

You weren’t born with those negative attitudes; you learned them, and they can be unlearned and replaced with new, positive, thank-full attitudes.  Yes, it takes hard work to change some of our negative attitudes, but it can be done with the inner power of God’s Spirit who lives permanently inside you in your human spirit, never to leave you or forsake you.

Annual Thanksgiving

If you don’t live here in USAmerica, I think you probably know we have an annual nationwide holiday every November named “Thanksgiving Day.”  It was originally established as a day to thank God for all the blessings we enjoy in this nation.  However, as years have passed, for the most part it isn’t a day of thanksgiving to God anymore—for many people.  For some it’s just a day off work, or “turkey day,” or a day to watch football.  For many of us in USAmerica, it’s a day far removed from its original intent.

The Bible is replete with admonitions for us to thank God . . . for an innumerable number of things:  simply for who He is, for what He’s done for us through Jesus, for untold blessings He has lavished on us.  Yes, there are numerous reasons to thank God!  But why set aside only one day a year to be thank-full to God?  Why not thank Him every day, not just one day a year?

                    “Always be thanking God for everything through Jesus.” –The Bible

                    “It is God’s will for you that you give thanks to Him during everything that  happens to you.”  –-the Bible

Can you believe that?  God wants you to be thank-full during everything and for everything.  For God to ask that of any human is absolutely illogical and unreasonable . . . unless we can begin to see everything from God’s eternal vantage point and infinite perspective!  If we can’t see God’s ways and works among humans through his “eyes,” it’s complete nonsense to thank God during and for everything.  How do we learn to perceive everything from God’s vantage point and perspective?  I’m glad you asked.  The answer?  I keep writing it over and over and over and over and over: from the Bible!

 The Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself and of his plans and purposes for our lives.  Without the Bible, little of anything that occurs among humankind makes any sense at all.  But with the Bible, we can begin to see through God’s eyes enough of his plans and purposes for us so that we can at least begin to get a brief glimpse of what He’s doing throughout all the ages of time and in the eternal state of being where He “dwells.”  The Bible teaches God is working out absolutely everything for our ultimate good.  Through the Bible we can see God working “behind the scenes” bringing everything to a conclusion that honors and respects all humanity whom He created.

If we can begin to get a glimpse of what He’s doing in our lives, then—and only then! Can we possibly thank Him during and for everything.  Otherwise, for God to ask that of us is utter foolishness.  So . . . are you able to thank God during and for everything in your life—this very day, this very moment, as you’re reading this issue of The Traveler?

Joy! 

Much of a realistic attitude of thank-fullness comes from an authentic sense of joy.  Don’t confuse joy and happiness.  Happiness (or unhappiness) comes from our responses to happenings in our lives.  Joy is altogether different from happiness, and comes from a different source altogether.  Living inside you in his unbodied form is a Person named the Holy Spirit.  He is Jesus in his unbodied other form. 

When you invited Jesus to take up permanent residence in your life, He came into your life in his unbodied form of Holy Spirit.  He’s inside you right now!  And always will be.  He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us . . . never, never, never, never, never!  Part of the character and nature of Jesus living inside you is what is called the “fruit of Holy Spirit.”  That fruit is sort of in the form of a 9-fold “cluster” of fruit.

                   “The fruit of Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, humility, and moderation.”           –The Bible

Joy doesn’t depend on happenings in our lives.  It’s almost like an “inner force” that arises up out of our spirits into our minds, thoughts, and attitudes . . . if we ask Holy Spirit inside us to manifest it or “give” joy to us.  Unless we ask Holy Spirit to “give” us his inner joy, it just sort of lays there inside us waiting to be “released” into our minds, thoughts, and attitudes.

It’s a supernatural, inner fruit that we can’t conjure up ourselves; we can’t grit our teeth and make ourselves joy-full.  No, we have to ask Holy Spirit to bring it forth into our daily lives.  It doesn’t just happen without our asking Him to give it to us.  Once we begin to experience his supernatural joy, then we begin to find many things in our day-to-day world about which we can be realistically thank-full.  God’s supernatural joy and our real-life, honest-to-life thank-fullness go hand in hand. 

\Without his joy, it’s hard to find things in our lives for which to be thank-full.  The Bible calls that supernatural joy “joy unspeakable,” and asks us to maintain a lifestyle of God-like joy . . . in spite of what’s happening or not happening in our lives.  Again, we can’t have that type of joy in our lives without asking for it.  And we can’t maintain attitudes of genuine thank-fullness without being able to see life from God’s perspective as revealed in the Bible.

Self-Centered, Self-Absorbed

Boiled down to it’s bare essentials, we sin when we live self-centered and self-absorbed lives instead of God-centered lives.  We all struggle with sin in our lives.  Jesus came to transform our lives—transforming us from focusing on our self to focusing on God.  It’s a lifelong process of transformation.  He transforms us by transforming our thoughts so we think more and more of God’s thoughts and attitudes and fewer of our own sin-full thoughts.  

When we live self-absorbed and self-centered lives instead of God-filled lives we generally have little to be thankful for.  After all, who have we to thank?  What do we have to be thankful for?  If my life is focused on my self, do I thank my self?  That seems sort of self-centered, doesn’t it?  But . . . when our lives become more and more God-centered, thinking more and more of his thoughts and having more and more godly attitudes, then we find much to be thank-full for.

 We simply see more and more people and God-events in our lives for which we can be thank-full.  We begin to live beyond our self and more for others.  We begin to give more to God and to other people.  We begin to thank God more for Himself.  We begin to thank God for other people in our lives.  We begin to thank God for furnishing us our basic needs .  . . and sometimes our wants.  

We begin to see the hand of God working more and more behind the scenes in our lives.  We begin to see Him orchestrating our lives into meaningful and complete lives with purpose and positive reasons for living.  We begin to see God’s vision for our lives, and begin to cooperate with Him in co-creating our meaningful and positive futures.  We begin to share the Good News about Jesus with others, wanting them to expect to se all the good we experience from the good heart of the good God.

Yes, having a vital relationship with the one true and living God helps make us thank-full during all things and for all things we experience in this mortal life.

We pray for you to have a thank-full life—a thanksliving life rather than merely having a thanksgiving day each year!

Thank-Full! 

In summary:  Who are you thank-full to?  Why are you thank-full?  Who are you thank-fully sharing Good News about Jesus with?  What are you thank-full for?  Who are you thank-fully helping to fulfill their destiny with God?  When are you thank-full?  Who are you thank-fully helping grown and expand their lives beyond their own limitations?  Where are you thank-full?  Who do you thank-fully pray for?  How do you thank-fully help others.  I know, I know . . . I didn’t use proper grammar in those few questions above, but for today and all the remaining days of your mortal journey . . . Happy Thanksliving!

                    “Hallelujah, praise and thank God in his holy house of worship.  Thank Him under the open skies.  Thank Him for his acts of power.  Thank Him for his abundant and magnificent greatness.  Praise and thank Him with music, singing, and dancing.  Let every living being praise and thank God.  Hail and thanksgiving to the King of kings!”                                                                                                                –paraphrased from Psalm 150

To think About This Month

                    My attitude of gratitude will determine my “altitude” in life!

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc.
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

This Life Is A Journey

Where we live in Rapid City, South Dakota, USAmerica, we have a great, first-class museum named The Journey Museum. Among other exhibits, it features the various pioneer journeys made by different people who founded and settled our region and community in the late 1800’s.  Since our first issue of The Traveler in September 2009, in one way or another every monthly issue has been about our journey through this mortal life from conception to death . . . and beyond.  

That’s so basic, many of us often overlook it:  this mortal life is a journey.  Each of us is a traveler on that journey.  There’s no escaping the journey . . . there’s no way around it . . . there’s no way out of it.  And for each of us the mortal phase of our journey will end at the moment of our death (or when Jesus returns to earth).  Period!  We’re sojourners.  We’re pilgrims.  We’re wanderers.  We’re wayfarers.  For now, we’re “homeless” travelers enroute to our True Home we’ll arrive at either when we die or when Jesus returns to earth as He promised He will do.

Why?  Why?  Why

So what’s the journey all about?  Why are we here?  What’s our purpose?  What’s our reason for being here?  It all began with God . . . and will end with God.  God created each of us.  God placed us here.  God is overseeing each of us on our separate journeys.  Do I fully understand such matters?  No!  But I believe them because God has given us the Bible so we can at least have a little understanding of what our journeys are all about.

 Think about this:  without the Bible, we would have no clue about why we’re here, why we’re journeying, where we’re headed.  Oh, philosophers and some religions tell us a little   about   our mortal   journey,  but we wouldn’t have any real knowledge of what it’s all about without the Bible.

Each of us was conceived and born on this planet either in the 20^th or 21^st century.  Do you understand why you’re you, why you were conceived, and why, when, and where you were born?  Have you ever wondered why you are a sentient, human being instead of a tree or an amoeba?  But here you are:  a living being, living here, right now, on planet Earth in October 2013, responsible to the one true and living God who created you.  Do I understand all there is to know about such matters?  No!  But I do have the Bible . . . and it goes a long way toward answering such mysteries.

We’re actually spirit beings sent here by God to have a temporary human experience, not mere human beings sent here by God to have a temporary spiritual experience.  Dear reader, our time here as mortals on planet Earth is very brief, very temporary, only a nano-second of time compared to the entire scope of what God has in mind for each of us.  Yes, our mortal time here is as brief and temporary as the morning fog before it’s dissipated by the rising sun.  The only solid, unchanging, firm, reliable aspect of our brief lives here during our mortal journey is our relationship with Father God through Jesus.  Everything—everything!—else is sinking sand.  And—for each of us—the sands of time are sinking all too rapidly!

          Years ago I asked God to help me make footprints—not buttprints—in the sinking sands of time!

Beyond the Open Door

The most important thing you must do during your brief journey through time and space here on planet Earth is to open the door of your inner life and invite Jesus to enter you and then live permanently inside you in his “unbodied form” of Holy Spirit.  That door of your inner life has no doorknob on the outside, only on the inside.  God will not open the door for you, nor will He force it open or knock it down by brute force.  No!  You must willingly open that door from the inside by your own choice.  Once you open that door and invite Jesus to take up permanent residence within you, then “all heaven will break loose” inside you and work its way out into your own, day-to-day world as you begin to share your new inner life with other people.

Born Again

Opening that inner door of your life and inviting Jesus to take up permanent residence inside you is what the Bible terms being “born again.” When you were born the first time, you were born physically.  As far as I know, all of us have experienced that birth.  If you haven’t, then I’d like to talk with you about  aliens from outer space and things of that nature . . .  Being born again is a spiritual birth—just as real (actually more real) as your physical birth, but it’s a new birth of your inner spirit.

Here’s what happens when a person is born again.  When born physically, every human is given a “universe” within themselves, created never to cease to exist.  We are each conceived a living wonder exploded into being—inside us a small universe within a vast multiverse; it’s called the human spirit.  Once we have been born physically, then inside each of us is a tiny point of light in our spirits, a miniscule sphere in our midsection.  It is where two worlds intersect—the invisible world of the Eternal Realm and the visible realm we experience in time and space with our five senses.  

It is where the incomprehensively vast becomes indescribably small—where infinity becomes finite, the invisible visible, where He-who-is-beyond-the-universe is Self-reduced to a pinpoint of intense light within the person who invites Jesus into their life and is born².  It is where the King of all Creation becomes King of our inner kingdom.  When you are born², something inside you wakens.  Like the early morning shadows of consciousness that reveal faint images, the newly born² person begins to have an inner awareness—an inner-knowing—of things not known before.

That’s what it’s all about:  being born again and establishing a permanent, eternal relationship with God through Jesus . . .  and then sharing that relationship with others so they, too, invite Him into their lives.  And so it goes.  We pass the baton of the Good News about Jesus to those around us and from one generation to the next.  That’s what this mortal journey is all about.

Toys and Things

Your mortal journey is decidedly not about permanently amassing things, “toys” lands, property, or wealth.  It’s not about fame and fortune.  Nothing during this mortal journey is permanent.  I’ve attended many funerals in my lifetime; at most funerals I’ve looked inside the coffin; there’s never been anything in there except the dead person’s body.  And I’m sure you’ve heard the quip that you never see a U-Haul trailer behind the hearse at funeral processions.  When you die or when Jesus returns to Earth, you can’t take anything with you except for “treasures” you’ve sent on ahead of you by giving to other people during your mortal journey.  What are you giving to others . . . right now, today, during your journey?  You can’t take anything with you!

At The Crossroads

 If our journeys are to be relevant, meaningful, and purposeful, they must begin at the cross upon which Jesus died at 3 pm, Wednesday, April 12^th, 27 A.D. on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel.  All other beginnings are “false starts” in this journey called life.  There on that cross all human sins were forgiven, all of life began anew, all people were potentially made whole and complete.

We journey upon what the Bible calls a “Highway of Holiness,” an infinite figure 8 loop constantly leading us forward to our ultimate destiny in God, yet also continually leading us back to the cross, both the starting and ending point of our journeys.  The cross upon which Jesus died stands solidly towering over all dimensions of time, space, and eternity.  All our journeys begin and end at that cross.  Whenever we come to crossroads during our journey, we must always take the crossroad leading us closest to that “old rugged cross.”  If not, then we have taken a detour, and God will lead us back to the cross to begin our journey anew.  We shall never cease from our mortal journeying, and the end of all our journeying will be to arrive at where we started and to know the place for the first time!

New Beginnings

Here is an important point to be considered as we each continue our journeys:  The cross is not a place of a new beginning; rather, it is always a place of new beginnings . . . plural.  God is not the God of a second chance during our journeys.  No, He is the God of many chances . . . as many as we need to begin anew our ongoing relationship with Him through what Jesus did on our behalf on the cross.  Are you struggling with an addiction?  With the inability to maintain godly relationships with other people?  Are you struggling financially?  Are you struggling with what the Bible calls “besetting sins”?

 Are you bound with emotional challenges?  With poor physical or mental health?  Do you need a new beginning in any area of your life?  Jesus came to set people free who are imprisoned by sin.  Those who are bound by addictions.  Those who are financially “broken.”  Those who are oppressed.  Those who need liberation in any area of their life.  That’s what the cross is all about.  Bring those types of burdens to the cross . . . and leave them there for God to take care of so you can begin your journey anew . . . as many times as you need new beginnings.

Being born again and leaving your burdens at the foot of that old rugged cross means you can choose to begin your journey anew and afresh whenever you have taken a detour on the road of Life.  Don’t stay on the detour; instead, get back on the Highway of Holiness and start your journey afresh and anew!

Everything Changes 

God says He never changes.  That’s because He is wholly “complete” in and of Himself.  But having said that about God, everything  in our lives is constantly changing.  Nothing ever seems to stay the same.  We humans can either resist change . . . or we can embrace change.  We need to understand if we’re believers in Jesus, within our changes God is always at work changing us more and more back into his clear image as best seen in Jesus.  Such changes serve to “expand” our souls and spirits and enlarge our heart’s capacity to love God more.  They expand God’s supernatural influence in our lives beyond our human limitations.  

If nothing changes, nothing changes!  The only humans who don’t seem to resist change are babies with wet diapers!  If we are not growing and changing each day, we are ripe and rotting!  By our deliberate choices and decisions we can learn to cooperate with God in the changes He wants to make in our lives.  As you plummet through those rapids of change in your life, do not resist them; rather, look for God in the changes and embrace them.

                   “We are all going to be changed; we’ll all hear the loud blast of a trumpet, and in less time than it takes to blink, we’ll be changed!  We’ll be up and out of our graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again.  Yes, in God’s resurrection scheme of things, we will all be changed!   –paraphrased from 1 Corinthians 15

To Think About This Month

             “We shall never cease from our mortal journeying, and the end of all our journeying will be to arrive at where we started and know the Place for the first time!”                                                      –adapted from T. S. Eliot

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc.
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020

Happy Fourth Anniversary!

Note:  The Traveler is normally 3 pages; this month it is 5 pages since it’s our fourth anniversary edition]

In the first issue of The Traveler in September 2009, we wrote:  Each of us is a traveler through the eons of time and beyond—into our final, eternal state of being!  It’s a journey, a sojourn.  And for all of us, this mortal life comes with great heights and great depths . . . with periods of overwhelming joy and bleak sadness at times . . . with long straightaways and messy detours . . . with deep relationships full of love and with existential loneliness . . . with sunny days and with stormy days . . . but the journey goes on for each of us.

 On this lifelong journey, we can never go pastward, only futureward.  We cannot change our past, only use it as a stepping stone to propel us into our future.  Our past does not necessarily equal our future.  Our future is up to us, “co-creating” it with God.  Our future can be despair-filled or hope-filled, based on our daily choices and decisions we make in response to God’s direction and guidance in our lives.  The Bible—the living Word of the one, true, Living God—is our lodestone, our GPS, our compass, and our gyroscope to give direction, balance, and guidance to our lives as we travel unerringly toward our True Home at the end of our mortal journey.  That is why we stress and emphasize the Bible in all our teachings and writings.

Little is Much When God is in It!

 This issue of The Traveler marks the beginning of our fifth year of publication.  In  September 2009, we sent our first issue to approximately 65 family members and friends; it was merely an experiment.  At the  time, we didn’t have any concrete plans to continue writing and publishing it each month.  From that humble beginning four years ago, The Traveler is now being read each month by thousands of people around the world on 6 of earth’s 7 continents.  Monthly, we receive responses from as near and far away as Australia, Eurasia, Asia, Africa, South America, and throughout North America.

Most of the responses we receive are positive and encouraging.  Some are quite negative and discouraging.  Oh well, it takes all kinds . . .   But overall, it looks like God uses the Traveler each month to meet many human needs and questions.  Please think of each September’s issue as my “Annual Report” to all my readers . . . so you have a feel for what this ministry is all about, and so you get to know more about me personally.  If what we teach helps you, that’s great.  If not, that’s okay, too. 

We never argue or try to force our views on others.  We just share what we find in the Bible about our journey.  Do we feel we have a “corner” on truth?  No!  Do we feel we’re better than others?  Nope!  Do we feel everything we write is true and accurate?  No.  No. NO!  We’re simply believers in Jesus who also believe the Bible is God’s Word to all humankind.  We feel God wants us to share with others what we learn about Him and about what He’s doing these days among those of us living on planet Earth.

Quick Recap

 In comparison with the state of being called Eternity, our mortal lives here are as brief as a morning fog that vanishes as soon as the rising sun hits it.  Our short lives here are meant to be lived only in preparation for life in Eternity.  Long ago, God summoned me and equipped me to teach the Bible and related subjects to the worldwide Body of Jesus (the church) without any exclusiveness.  I’ve tried my best to obey Him and live a good and godly life while attempting to help other people prepare for LIFE in eternity!

Trapped In Time and Space 

I’m “trapped” inside my own skin and can’t really do very much to influence other people except by my prayers for you and by my writings and teachings.  But God is not trapped or limited in any manner, and He can range unlimited throughout the earth, meeting the overwhelming needs of many people, wherever they are located.  I pray daily:  “God, from your  unlimited, inexhaustible, abundant resources meet the overwhelming needs of people for whom I pray and for whom I write.” 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:  “I’m a happy heretic.”  Long ago, I chose not to blindly accept  without question the teachings of others—even though their teachings might be widely accepted among many people in the Bible-believing world.  And I choose 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 his eternal love and grace He extends to all humanity.  I first grasped his extended grace over 57 years ago and my life has been God-filled and grace-filled ever since!  Marvelous grace of our loving God!  Greater than all our sin!

“Keeping The Home Fires Burning” 

As many of you know, my autobiography, entitled Him ‘n me, was published a year or so ago and seems to be a source of encouragement, enjoyment, and inspiration to many people around the world.  It has been selling well.  Feel free to order your copy from amazon.com.

My new book about Holy Spirit titled Friends Forever was published last year. It can be ordered through any major bookstore and on amazon.com.  It is also available for e-readers.  I think you’ll find Friends Forever to be a real “God thing” about Holy Spirit.  

Many people don’t know much about Holy Spirit, the “forgotten third person of the trinity,” or they have been misinformed about Him and what He does in our lives.  I feel Friends Forever will help clear up many such matters.  I encourage you to read it for personal enlightenment and encouragement, as well as for group Bible study.  I don’t make any money from my book royalties; all proceeds are given to our ministry, Life Enrichment Services.  

Meanwhile, I continue to write new teachings and update previous teachings posted to this ministry web site.  I add one new teaching every few months or so on average and usually update two or three teachings every month.  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 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 as well as in other places in our community. We have witnessed the Holy Spirit genuinely change and transform people when they apply the liberating truths of the Bible to their lives.  I cannot change lives.  Only God the Holy Spirit can do that.  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 liberate and transform people as only He can do.  My task is to plant seeds in the lives of others and cultivate and water the seeds with prayer.  God’s task is to grow the seeds and harvest them when they are ripe! Each day I make it a point not to confuse whose tasks are whose!

In addition, we continue to be involved in various ways in our local church, Destiny Church.  It’s a lively church with a husband and wife team of Pastors—with great teaching, music, and fellowship. 

 And, I continue to conduct part-time, private counseling using a unique, very effective method of biblical counseling called theophostic counseling. 

The Most Important Tasks You Should Be Doing!

I honestly feel the most important thing any Jesus believer must do is introduce other people to Jesus!  After that, the second most important task for each of us is to disciple, mentor, teach, and train newer believers in Jesus constantly.  At any given time, I’m usually discipling 6 to 8 other, newer 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, newer 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 plans and purposes for each of us always to be introducing others to Jesus and then discipling them!  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, newer believer.  

If you’re not discipling others regularly and consistently, something just ain’t right in your relationship with God!  Introducing other people to Jesus and then discipling them is 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!

Other Service To God

In addition to writing The Traveler and teachings for our web site each month, I’m also a Field Instructor with Crossroad Bible Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  By free correspondence courses, we teach and disciple many thousands of prisoners throughout the United States and in other nations of the world.  I work with various prisoners on a weekly basis, reviewing their lessons, answering their questions, 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.

Recently, I became a volunteer, part-time Healing Technician in The Healing Rooms of the Black Hills here in Rapid City—part of a worldwide network of 2,500+ Healing Rooms in 70 nations.  We simply pray for God to heal others in their body, soul, and spirit, making them whole and complete by the power of God through Jesus.

China:  The Sleeping Dragon 

Our international focus remains primarily 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 about what God is doing in that great nation.  I made these predictions about China in the early 1990’s, and you can hold me accountable for it:  I predicted that by the year 2015 China would take over the earth—not militarily, but economically.  I also predicted that by 2025 China will be the most God-believing nation on this planet, perhaps the most godly nation the world has ever known!  Impossible with humans; a small matter for God!

We also focus some of our giving and support to Jesus’ workers in the nations of Israel and Mozambique. God is also doing some wonder-full and amazing things in those two nations.

Travels

I don’t do as much traveling now as I did in years past:  to teach, to minister, to present seminars, etc.  However, in April 2013 I took a two-week ministry trip throughout 7 states.  It was arduous, but  fruitful.  What I enjoyed most was “connecting” with some old friends whom I hadn’t seen in years.  In Kansas City, I was privileged and honored to spend a few days at the International House of Prayer (IHOP), and hope to keep going there semi-annually with others from here in Rapid City.  I had planned on going to Israel this year, but that trip fell through.  I still hope I can go within the next couple of years.

Books Given

 About 10 years ago, 2 very important books were published here in USAmerica; only time—and eternity—will tell the worldwide effects these books have had in the lives of hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions!—of people around the world.  The 2 books to which I’m referring are The Prayer of Jabez and The Purpose Driven Life. If you haven’t heard of them or read them, you must have been away on some other planet for the past decade or so.  

I scour thrift shops and garage sales to find used copies of each of those books . . . and then give them away to as many people as I’m able to.  I’ve never kept count, but I suppose I’ve given away hundreds of them.  And I’ve seen God use them to transform many lives!  I re-read and re-study each of those books every year, along with a dozen or so others I re-read each year or so.

A Very, Very Ordinary Man

For those 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 believer in Jesus.  My name is Bill Boylan.   I’m married to a lovely wife 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 our bed most mornings, drive a 14-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, mall-walking, reading, and writing.  I have finally developed a little “pot belly,” but I tell people it’s because I have larger than normal internal organs . . . .

 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 inaugurate his eternal Kingdom on Earth.

75 – 18 = 57

So far, I’ve lived here on planet earth as a mortal for 75+ years.  In the 18^th year of my mortal pilgrimage, I invited Jesus into my life and since then I’ve been immortal for the past 57 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 employment years were spent as a public school teacher, a medical administrator, and as a mean, tough old sergeant 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.”   I retired from full-time secular employment a few years ago.  Since then, I simply try to let Jesus live his own life in and through me each day.  I want others to see Jesus wrapped in his “Bill Boylan skin” and be drawn to Him through me.  We are Jesus’ hands, feet, and mouth in our day-to-day world.

 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,” a mixture of Irish, Scottish, and German.  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 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 Jesus with others in your world?  Are you discipling those with whom you have shared Good News?  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 four 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 years to come—to build you up, inspire and encourage you, and enrich your life in some manner.

 The name of our ministry is Life Enrichment Services; with God’s inner empowerment, we want to enrich your life in any way we are able to.  In its most basic definition, “enrich” means to fill your life with good things from our good God.  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, enroute to your final Home in Eternity!  Please feel free to contact us by e-mail or through our website.  We are always here to help you and encourage you in any way we are able to.

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 & 2 5

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.”      

Bill Boylan
Life Enrichment Services, Inc.
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and Updated December 2020