Crusades Began with Reconquista

[rockytopva]

Spurgeon,

Are there any Charles Spurgeon's in Israel urging the entire society to lay down their arms and allow themselves to be slaughtered?

 

[Matthias]

Are there any Charles Spurgeon's in Israel urging the entire society to lay down their arms and allow themselves to be slaughtered?

You acknowledged that you haven’t read Spurgeon. The framing of your question is proof to those who have that you haven’t.

 

[rockytopva]

You acknowledged that you haven’t read Spurgeon. The framing of your question is proof to those who have that you haven’t.

"I have suffered many times from severe sickness and frightful mental depression seeking almost to despair" - Charles Spurgeon

I am sorry... I have no interest in reading into the works of a frightfully depressed man. Fearing especially that I would turn out like the guy!

 

[Matthias]

From my X / Twitter “For you” feed this afternoon -

“I always think of myself as Christian who hates Christianity.”

Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) on X

"I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity" - James Talarico https://t.co/Iz4Bz8aX25

x.com

Not a champion of Christianity.



A champion of Christianity.

 

[Jay Ross]

"I have suffered many times from severe sickness and frightful mental depression seeking almost to despair" - Charles Spurgeon

I am sorry... I have no interest in reading into the works of a frightfully depressed man. Fearing especially that I would turn out like the guy!

The context in which the above "quote" is missing and as such, to form an opinion as to whether or not Charles Spurgeon's writings should be read or not, cannot be formed simply by considering this short quote without its context.

Perhaps this extract helps with the context:



Shalom

 

[Anchorite]

"I have suffered many times from severe sickness and frightful mental depression seeking almost to despair" - Charles Spurgeon

I am sorry... I have no interest in reading into the works of a frightfully depressed man. Fearing especially that I would turn out like the guy!

Charles Spurgeon is called the Prince of Preachers. His depression was perhaps his thorn in the flesh.

Rather than viewing his depression as a sin, Spurgeon viewed it as an affliction that humbled him and equipped him to be a more compassionate pastor.

In his famous lecture, "The Minister's Fainting Fits", he highlighted that spiritual leaders are prone to depression due to the heavy emotional burden of their work, sedentary habits, and failure to take enough time for rest and recreation.

His depression was compounded by chronic physical illnesses, including gout, rheumatism, Bright's disease, and the long-term emotional trauma of the 1856 Surrey Gardens Music Hall stampede, which caused the deaths of seven people.

 

[rockytopva]

I have no use in reading into a man who is frequently depressed. Charles Spurgeon quotes...

* Before any great achievement, some measure of depression is very usual.
* I find myself frequently depressed
* I know, perhaps as well as anyone, what depression means, and what it is to feel myself sinking lower and lower.
* The iron bolt...mysteriously fastens the door of hope and holds our spirits in a gloomy prison.

 

[Matthias]

"I have suffered many times from severe sickness and frightful mental depression seeking almost to despair" - Charles Spurgeon

I am sorry... I have no interest in reading into the works of a frightfully depressed man.

Then don’t read Spurgeon. One of the greatest voices in the history of Christianity is not in your league.

Fearing especially that I would turn out like the guy!

He taught, he preached, he lived the teaching of Jesus and the disciples concerning how followers of Jesus are to respond to their enemies. He isn’t the only one who did. Find one of them to read.

 

[rockytopva]

If I read into Baptist it is usually a Southern Baptist such as Zig Ziglar. I would have no motivation into reading into a frequently depressed guy such as Charles Spurgeon.

 

[rockytopva]

Charles Spurgeon... I can picture the results of believing like the guy as a society of depressed people waiting for whatever evil the devil would hand down to them!

 

[Ziggy]

 

[Matthias]

Christians body slamming one of the greatest figures in the history of Christianity.

I didn’t have that one on my BINGO card.

 

[rockytopva]

I would rather read into a guy like Zig Ziglar... "A life of faith isn’t something you endure. It’s something you enjoy." In Confessions of a Happy Christian, Zig Ziglar shares his personal story of faith, purpose, and joy. Through honesty and humility, he reminds us that serving God doesn’t drain your life, it fills it.

 

[Matthias]

Thanks.

I don’t agree with everything Spurgeon ever said. He’s not infallible, and of course he never claimed to be. He played an important role in my spiritual formation growing up and I still read him daily.

What do you think about him?

 

[Matthias]

Charles Spurgeon... I can picture the results of believing like the guy as a society of depressed people waiting for whatever evil the devil would hand down to them!

Thanks.

I’m curious about one thing: will @Wrangler come to the defense of Spurgeon, one of his favorite Christian authors?

What do you think? Will he or won’t he?

 

[rockytopva]

John Wesley was a preacher at the brink of failure and depression until a Moravian encouraged him, "Preach faith until you have it." - Peter Böhler. The awakened faith caused his ministry to go a long way.

4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? - Job 20

If Charles Spurgeon was not overweight and unbelieving for much of his adult life he would have had far less miseries.

 

[Matthias]

I would rather read into a guy like Zig Ziglar... "A life of faith isn’t something you endure. It’s something you enjoy." In Confessions of a Happy Christian, Zig Ziglar shares his personal story of faith, purpose, and joy. Through honesty and humility, he reminds us that serving God doesn’t drain your life, it fills it.

I’ve read a little written by Ziglar, and I liked some - definitely not all - of what I‘ve read. I routinely use his line “Better than good” whenever someone asks me how I’m doing or how it’s going. It always receives a reaction, whereas “Fine” doesn’t.

Did you know that Ziglar read Spurgeon and frequently integrated his thoughts into his writing? That doesn’t surprise me at all but it may come as a shock to you.

 

[Anchorite]

I would rather read into a guy like Zig Ziglar... "A life of faith isn’t something you endure. It’s something you enjoy." In Confessions of a Happy Christian, Zig Ziglar shares his personal story of faith, purpose, and joy. Through honesty and humility, he reminds us that serving God doesn’t drain your life, it fills it.

Be careful. Zig Zigler is controversial. He fits in with the prosperity gospel advocates and new age positive affirmations crowd.

He faced several notable controversies during and after his career, including his involvement with a 2002 Olympic lobbying scandal, pushback over his religious proselytizing, and his early aggressive, mercenary sales tactics.

Towards the end of his career, Ziglar revealed that he had served as a consultant for the Salt Lake City bid to host the 2002 Winter Games.

He detailed how he used his sales profiling to map out and manipulate the exact desires of International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. He then procured what they wanted, in order for Ziglar to secure votes. When the massive bribery and corruption scandal surrounding the Utah bid broke, Ziglar's highly calculated, mercenary role in "buying" votes drew significant public scrutiny.

Before developing the kinder and gentler persona that made him famous, Ziglar operated differently in the sales trenches.

In his earlier seminars, he utilized a much more greedy and aggressive approach to closing. Accounts of his early techniques described the sales process as an aggressive battle of wills, where the salesperson's goal was simply to secure the money before leaving the room, prioritizing closed deals over consultative relationship-building.

Critics within the modern corporate training and sales spheres sometimes argue that his trademark motivational techniques—such as instructing a disgruntled employee to fake-smile in the mirror and say they love their job—were superficial, "toxic positivity" that ignored the root causes of workplace burnout and poor management.

 

[Wrangler]

I am sorry... I have no interest in reading into the works of a frightfully depressed man. Fearing especially that I would turn out like the guy!

@rockytopva, while I may not agree with Spurgeon’s pacifism, I respect his place among great pastors in history. My wife got me a wonderful gift some years ago, Spurgeons commentary on Psalms.

Also, I have compassion for his mental and physical maladies.

 

[Ziggy]

Thanks.

I don’t agree with everything Spurgeon ever said. He’s not infallible, and of course he never claimed to be. He played an important role in my spiritual formation growing up and I still read him daily.

What do you think about him?

Luk 7:25
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

I think testosterone makes people afraid.
I don't know why?
Some say they put too much soy in the water or something.

I like his directness. No sugar coating there.

Hugs