Xulon Press author Bruce Bullock
Author of the Month

Author of the Month: Bruce Bullock

Today’s Xulon Press Successful Author Spotlight showcases one of the most interesting and certainly oldest authors that I have had the distinct pleasure to interview, Bruce Bullock. At 85, Bruce is the oldest and probably busiest author we have interviewed, and his latest book, “Language in the Bible: In Search of Accuracy”, explores the history of languages used in biblical times to document the stories of the Bible. Bruce states in his book that it is meant as “an overview of the relationship that language has had with scripture and the relationship that scripture has had upon language.”  This is the latest in a series of books Bruce has written in his later years. From a language series of courses on the book of John to his latest on Languages in the Bible, all lead the reader into a depth in the Word that many do not expect – Bruce provides the foundation for “true study” of the Word!

Xulon Press author Bruce Bullock

Bruce had a successful career in the symphony as a first chair oboist in many orchestras across Europe and America. He was a founding member of the Albuquerque Symphony. In 1984, he was a pedestrian when struck by a truck. Bruce spent a month in ICU and several months in rehab. He lost the use of his right hand and leg and lost partial vision, confined to a wheelchair, leaving him unable to play his much loved oboe. Despite these life changing events that could have set many back, Bruce directed his talent to writing. He speaks fluently in eight languages and has written courses on Prevailing Prayer and the Book of John, and has turned the training courses into eEooks and translated them into Spanish and is now working on French. At 85, Bruce lives alone, ministers in his church on the prayer team, writes and speaks on the subjects of his books. He is an inspiration to all who wonder how they can move past a catastrophic event in their life. Bruce embodies the image of someone who serves with gladness, no matter the circumstance.

When I asked Bruce what one event changed the course of his life, Bruce shared two occasions. “When I was a young man, just returning from seven years in Europe, I had a terrible hunger and thirst for the miraculous. I was searching in all the wrong places. I heard from the son of a member of a cult. The leader was long dead. I was trying to find a connection there. A friend found his address. I wrote to him immediately, I was starved for something miraculous. He wrote back and said “my wife and I had have found something better in Jesus Christ”. I packed up immediately and drove to California to meet with these people. That’s what started it all and Christ found me. I finally got connected there with the family of Jane Russell, the movie actress. I knew her brothers and their wives. They had a wonderful chapel. They knew chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians about order with the gifts of the Spirit. I was saved in a Pentecostal church. But it was a disorderly church. The Lord led me to an orderly congregation. That was many decades ago. Much has happened since then.  The second occasion is when I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had trouble connecting with a congregation that understood the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts. I learned years later that I was surrounded with congregations all over the place with people who understood. After the death of my wife, in 1997, I had a renewal and found a church and have been there ever since. I went through bible school and I’ve been ordained and became the intercessory prayer pastor for our church.”

Having written several books, I inquired as to Bruce’s method of writing. “I was given a word of knowledge from my pastor’s wife that said that I should be writing. That started me on my journey.  The Holy Spirit just sent the book to me. I was told as early as elementary school that I should be writing. I enjoy it very much. I have such a respect and interest in all languages in general, especially the problems of language in conveying the gospel. Many people in most churches do not understand the fullness of the gospel. I try to define the biblical terms and trace back to Greek and Hebrew as far as it would go. I have a definite method that I am not stuck with and quite willing to change it if the impulse comes. Usually, what I do when I start looking for a title or a title is given to me or I receive a title from the Lord, then with the title immediately, I start to see the entire work, within my mind. I start by determining the names of all of the chapters that it will break down into, and then I dive into writing under the titles. Sometimes I jump around between chapters. One thing is most important to me since writing these spiritual books. If I am writing it without the Holy Spirit writing it through me, I throw that part out and just keep the part that the Holy Spirit inspired. The bad part is always our part because the Holy Spirit never writes a bad word!

Having experienced so many things in the course of his 85 years, I asked Bruce what was the one message that he wanted someone to receive from his life. He responded “The Lord blessed me abundantly BEFORE I knew Him or received Him or accepted Him. I was very much in denial. I was in a dry dead congregation. My mom tried to get me to believe, but I would have none of it. But as I look back, I see there was blessing all around me. We were in the depression and there was no way to educate me. No money. The Lord took over. At 11, the Lord got me to the National Music Camp, where I was trained on the oboe, which gave me a wonderful music career, which became an idol to me. But that doesn’t matter to me at all now. At 27, I had this wonderful salvation experience and realized that I had a calling that I did not answer. I should have gone and answered the call and gone into ministry somehow, but no, I continued pushing my musical career — made that mistake. I made another mistake by getting into a marriage that I prayed about and didn’t receive an answer. I should have waited. Mia Culpa. I should have waited. He was gracious before I knew His grace, to an incredible extent. What I accomplished in the musical career, would have been incredible from where I started, in stark poverty.  Through all of this, God said, “Bruce I am going to bless you, you are going to believe in me and preach my word.” Of all the things I have done in my life, there is no better life than that!

I asked Bruce what was his theme scripture and why? “I am the way, the truth and the life. John 14:6. God has shown that it’s true and… in that is all of the way, all of the truth and all of the life. I am walking in it. My auto accident should have killed me, as a pedestrian in a wheel chair. Hit at 40 miles an hour, it destroyed the chair and yet, I am in better health since that. I am a stranger to senility so far.  With most of the terrible things that happen to us, we can point a finger at ourselves because we are the cause of it. God doesn’t do the bad things. I did not blame God for the accident. After I got out of the hospital, I called the woman who hit me and forgave her. I actually felt the pain of how terrible she felt over the accident and released her from the guilt. She didn’t need to feel guilty, I was okay. I was alive. I wanted her to know that I was okay. And now, at 85, I am very active in my church. I live alone at 85 and do all of my own stuff, cooking, cleaning, etc. I am never alone. The Lord is always with me. I am never alone. Joy, peace, love — That is very palpable!”

Having lived this life that Bruce calls blessed, I asked him what he would want on his gravestone to sum of this remarkable life of his. He replied quickly, enthusiastically and poignantly.

“Sinner Saved!”

I shook my head, felt this smile come across my face and replied, “That says it all!”

Bruce is an inspiration to all of us “young people” (anyone younger than 85!) to identify the gifts God has given us… and use them all for God’s glory!

He sure did!

Find Bruce Bullock’s latest book Language & The Bible – In Search of Accuracy in the Xulon Press Bookstore.

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Alan P. Scaglione is a writer who reflects on the simple contradictions and complexities to living this ”gift from God” called life. He believes that Life is a journey that, with compassion, a little levity and perspective, we help each other get through. His greatest compliment was being told “you draw pictures with your words!” He has devoted his life to “drawing”...in his poetry, his songs, his weekly “Reflections of Life” blog entries, his monthly SAS articles, his short stories and now, his novels! Alan is an everyday guy who refuses to let circumstances dictate his view to life; he lives an attitude of gratitude and spreads his positive outlook everywhere he goes. His BEST day is a day shared making a memory that will last a lifetime! Please check out Alan's books "One Unexpected Event - How Would Your Life Change?" and its sequel “One Unexpected Event - Aftermath!” in the Xulon Press bookstore.

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