tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post1909318423269379885..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Coping with depressionRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-63386721476010689412013-02-19T19:55:11.895-05:002013-02-19T19:55:11.895-05:00Perseverance is crucial in the Christian life beca...Perseverance is crucial in the Christian life because the Lord Jesus said that only those who endure to the end would be saved (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Mark 4:17; 13:13). As a Calvinist, I interpret that statement as descriptive rather than prescriptive. But even if it is prescriptive, endurance is not the ground or basis of one's justification. Regardless of how one interprets the statement, the application is clear. We need to endure in the Christian life if we expect to make it to heaven. We need to <a href="http://youtu.be/JiyLT5VMC10" rel="nofollow">"Go On Loving [God]"</a>.ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-34285775406698360962013-02-13T13:58:28.697-05:002013-02-13T13:58:28.697-05:00Ladd's life reminds me of the life of Edward J...Ladd's life reminds me of the life of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_John_Carnell" rel="nofollow">Edward J. Carnell</a>. He's known for having formulated an abductive form of presuppositionalism which he labeled Systematic Consistency [or Coherency]. Like Ladd, he lived during a time when few would accept him because he was too liberal for the conservatives and too conservative for the liberals. Carnell suffered from depression and insomnia and he took barbiturates (by doctor's prescription?) to help him sleep. He was found dead (in a hotel, if I recall) from an overdose of barbiturates. The coroner wasn't able to determine whether it was an accidental overdose or whether Carnell commited <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DRqJ81wPJScC&pg=PA210&lpg=PA210&dq=edward+carnell+suicide&source=bl&ots=nHQ_kiJIjX&sig=rvnVcVSGcV4xAMHMjB_mmY-3zpY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LdsbUYXcHMnRyQGY0IHwAQ&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=edward%20carnell%20suicide&f=false" rel="nofollow">suicide</a>. Having browsed through Rudolph Nelson's biography about 10 year ago, I personally suspect it was accidental. And even though many Christians would think Carnell didn't "finish well", I still think he was a genuine Christian who made lasting contributions to the advancement of Christ's Kingdom and who's now in heaven enjoying his reward.<br /><br />BTW, the other major forms of presuppositionalism are 1. the authoritarian Revelational Presuppositionalism of Cornelius Van Til; 2. the Axiomatic (or Dogmatic, or Rational or Deductive) Presuppositionalism of Gordon H. Clark; 3. the Practical Presuppositionalism of Francis Schaeffer (who I heard was in the process of converting to Orthodoxy before he died, like his famous [or infamous] son would later do). 4. Ronald H. Nash's Abductive Presuppositionalism. Nash thought he was following in the footsteps of Carnell and Schaeffer and that their apologetic were abductive like his.ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-64692510662505680112013-02-12T23:57:12.279-05:002013-02-12T23:57:12.279-05:00Murphy's book seems to be a bit extreme. Here&...Murphy's book seems to be a bit extreme. Here's a classic Puritan work on spiritual warfare that most every genuine Christian would welcome. It's Thomas Brooks' classic <a href="http://www.preachtheword.com/bookstore/remedies.pdf" rel="nofollow">Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices</a><br /><br />I'm personally convinced that even if the original source(s) of depression in a Christian wasn't demonic, it'll always end up having some demonic element that's aggravating it. Demons watch and can tell when you're feeling low and the devil and demonic minions don't fight fair. They will kick you while you're down and will never give you a chance to get back up or even catch your breath. Like earthly predators in the animal kingdom (e.g. lions), they will look in the herd for the stragglers, or the weakened, or injured, or the young, or the old (i.e. the mature Christian who might be battle weary) and pounce on them. That's why it's so important not to be ignorant of the devil's schemes.ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-59820037316576770022013-02-12T23:33:57.213-05:002013-02-12T23:33:57.213-05:00Some Dude, maybe these might help. Also, I'm s...Some Dude, maybe these might help. Also, I'm sure many others reading this blog will keep you in prayer.<br /><br />William Lane Craig on Dealing with Doubt<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-fDyPU3wlQ" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-fDyPU3wlQ</a><br /><br />John Piper on how to deal with doubting God's existence<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBPoF5nxdRA" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBPoF5nxdRA</a><br /><br />John Piper on how to deal with doubting your own devotion to Christ<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD2O13CIb6U" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD2O13CIb6U</a><br /><br />John Piper - Battling Unbelief: Bank On His Faithfulness, Not Your Fickleness<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nDows1nMqk" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nDows1nMqk</a>ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-48694341365089622892013-02-12T23:14:31.569-05:002013-02-12T23:14:31.569-05:00Steve,
Thanks so much for posting this. Struggli...Steve,<br /><br />Thanks so much for posting this. Struggling with deep depression combined with being exposed to higher criticism over the last year caused me to lose my faith two weeks ago. By God's grace, I had it restored this past weekend at our church meeting. I have had too many dark nights of the soul that I care not count. <br /><br />Some DudeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-37925995722764302692013-02-12T21:22:18.001-05:002013-02-12T21:22:18.001-05:00A good post. Thanks, Steve. :-)A good post. Thanks, Steve. :-)rockingwithhawkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10550503108269371174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-47650442989768213392013-02-12T19:37:30.372-05:002013-02-12T19:37:30.372-05:00Sam Waldron's sermons on Elijah helped me duri...Sam Waldron's sermons on Elijah helped me during a period of spiritual depression I went through a decade ago. I've linked them below. I think two of the sermons are the same but preached at different occasions. But I'm not sure which two (it's not necessarily the last two which have similar sermon names).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5210295633" rel="nofollow">Elijah's Death Wish</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12802151737" rel="nofollow">Elijah's Struggle with Carnal Fear</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12802212931" rel="nofollow">When the Brook Dries Up</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10410112122" rel="nofollow">Elijah Beside the Dry Brook</a><br /><br />D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book <i>Spiritual Depression</i> was extremely helpful (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Depression-Its-Causes-Cure/dp/0802813879/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1" rel="nofollow">amazon.com link</a>). I never finished the book because I was greatly helped by the middle of the book.<br /><br />Thomas Watson's book <a href="http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/epl-10/web/watson-cordial.html" rel="nofollow">A Divine Cordial</a> also helped.<br /><br />Finally, Mark Bubeck's book <i>The Adversary: The Christian Versus Demon Activity</i> was also very helpful (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Adversary-Christian-Versus-Activity/dp/0802401430/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1" rel="nofollow">amazon.com link</a>)<br /><br />I just did a random google search and I think I found an online copy of Ed Murphy's <a href="http://www.breadoflifebiblestudy.com/Lessons/18Deliverance/Articles/HandbookForSpiritualWarfare.pdf" rel="nofollow">The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare</a>. I've browsed through the book before, but not enough to be able to fully endorse it.<br /><br />Here's John Piper's bio of William Cowper the hymn writer who struggled with depression most of his life. <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/biographies/insanity-and-spiritual-songs-in-the-soul-of-a-saint" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-46442046546635752022013-02-12T17:36:36.931-05:002013-02-12T17:36:36.931-05:00The first link article states:
If I may make an un...The first link article states:<br /><i>If I may make an unguarded personal note, Ladd's biography is disturbing for many of us who have used academic success as a means to compensate for feelings of inadequacy and inferiority from our childhood or adolescent years.</i><br /><br />It reminds me of William Lane Craig's admission <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iyxR8uE9GQ&feature=youtu.be&t=56m13s" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.com