Ruckman cops the Sword of the LORD

In his December newsletter, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman crows about how Dr. Shelton Smith, editor of the the Sword of the LORD, has become his disciple by now holding to inspiration of a translation  of the Scriptures [the King James Version] as well as the Masoretic text (MT) of the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus (TR) of the New. This position, which is NOT an historic position of biblical fundamentalism, is now a foundation of the Sword’s King James Bible Conference.

Curiously, at this conference (which is concluding as of today’s writing), they promise to rebut “the extremism of double inspiration, etc.” That would be interesting, in light of the Sword’s doctrinal statement, which actually supports the view.

On page 6 of his newsletter is Ruckman’s diatribe article, “Shelton Smith Finally Sees the Light.” Here “Shelton-baby” (as Ruckman dubs him) is ridiculed as a “poor ‘Johnny-come-lately,’ who arrived a half a century [sic] too late to make any real contribution;” yet “Smitty” is back-handedly congratulated for becoming a true “Ruckmanite” at long last. Wow–with friends like these…

My advice for cutting through this foolishness: go to this site.

Turn the Bible into Prayer

Is your Bible reading a bit dry? Are you entering the new year with your Bible reading chart directing you to Genesis and Matthew with a bit of dread? Perhaps prayer is the missing element. Consider Robert Murray McCheyne’s advice to a young man about Bible reading:

“You read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try and understand it, and still more to feel it. Read more parts than one at a time. For example, if you are reading Genesis, read a Psalm also; or if you are reading Matthew, read a small bit of an Epistle also. Turn the Bible into prayer. Thus, if you were reading the First Psalm, spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel, and pray, ‘O Lord, give me the blessedness of the man;’ ‘let me not stand in the counsel of the ungodly.’ This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible, and of learning to pray.”