The Tulip Driven Life

  Jay Adams on the necessity of physical fitness for Pastors/Ministers, from volume 1 of Shepherding God's Flock, Chapter 4, Areas of Adequacy: "While God can use anyone with any sort of body to achieve His purposes, ordinarily for the sustained steady labor of the pastorate, the work to which He calls His servant requires a strong, healthy, well-disciplined body [Adams references I Cor. 9:27]. At the very least, one must agree that the minister, who is to be an example in all things, must lead his flock in demonstrating how to care for the temple of the Holy Spirit. Whatever his body's condition, with all its limitations, his task is to hone it to its sharpest edge, making it capable of becoming as effective an instrument in the hand of God as that body can be. Among other things, good eating and sleeping habits as well as other health concerns should play controlling roles in both the planning and execution of scheduling and routine activities. Adequate (not excessive) s...

  When we look at our good works as part of examining ourselves, we are not trusting in ourselves or our "goodness" as the grounds of our salvation, but as an assurance of our salvation. This is because good works are necessary, yet possible only by the saving grace of God having already been given to us through Jesus Christ. It is in and by Christ, as one who is saved by His sacrifice, that a Christian does good works for God's glory. Such good works flow only from those who have already been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. It is a dangerous error within certain churches today, sometimes seen especially in Reformed churches today, that tell you to never examine yourself and your works to determine whether you are saved or not, justified in Christ or not. Their fear seems to be that this will somehow confuse grace and works, and will make people think that we are justified by our works in a meritorious manner. But the Bible speaks very strongly about the necessity of good...

Matthew Henry on true wisdom for salvation, from his commentary on 1 Corinthians 1: "Those methods of divine conduct that vain men are apt to censure as unwise and weak have more true, solid, and successful wisdom in them, than all the learning and wisdom that are among men: "You see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called, v. 26, etc. You see the state of Christianity; not many men of learning, or authority, or honourable extraction, are called." There is a great deal of meanness and weakness in the outward appearance of our religion. For, (1.) Few of distinguished character in any of these respects were chosen for the work of the ministry. God did not choose philosophers, nor orators, nor statesmen, nor men of wealth and power and interest in the world, to publish the gospel of grace and peace. Not the wise men after the flesh, though men would apt to think that a reputation for wisdom and learning...

 This is from Henry's commentary on Titus 2. Notice also his opening words, how the minister should preach discerningly, applying God's word to young and old, male and female, each in their stations and conditions of life. These are perennial and needed words for old and young men alike.  To see Henry's words regarding older and younger women, take this link:  https://tulipdrivenlife.blogspot.com/2025/01/matthew-henry-on-duties-of-older-and.html    "Specially and particularly, he instructs him to apply this sound doctrine to several sorts of persons, from v. 2-10. Ministers must not stay in generals, but must divide to every one his portion, what belongs to his age, or place, or condition of life; they must be particular as well as practical in their preaching; they must teach men their duty, and must teach all and each his duty. Here is an excellent Christian directory, accommodated to the old and to the young; to men and women; to the preacher himself and to s...

  Matthew Henry here in his commentary addresses Titus 2 and Paul's instructions to Titus, to instruct the older and younger women, and for the older women to teach the younger women particularly what pertains to their calling by their natures as female image bearers of God. Henry's words are common in the Reformed history, and really basically all church branches and even among the pagans ordinarily. We are sadly in whacky world on male and female the last 100 years or so, especially since the 1960's. These words may not be popular, but they are perennially true and very much needed to be heard today, for the sake of men and women as we seek to glorify God. As Paul says in Titus 2:5, to despise or disregard this is to blaspheme God's Word. To see Henry's words from Titus 2 to older and younger men, take this link: https://tulipdrivenlife.blogspot.com/2025/01/matthew-henry-on-duties-of-older-and_19.html "To the aged women. These also must be instructed and war...

Handling Wheat & Tares in Home, Church, and State (Applied to Our Present Challenges) What is the rate of major moral and/or theological failure among the Ligonier/G3 conference orbit of speakers? It is quite high sadly, and these conferences were more narrowly purposed as a Christian/theological sort of conference than the more political conferences led mostly by Christians today, such as the one Joel Webbon and company are putting on at the "Christ is King: How to Defeat Trashworld" conference in April 2025.  Theological conferences like Ligonier, etc., were "movements" in their own era, and in their own way. And I am thankful for them for the time and place in which they existed and were useful. Ligonier Ministries still serves as a good introductory purpose for Christians becoming serious about their faith and doctrine. If you focus on gleaning from their online content, you can still get benefit from them, but mostly in the more narrow areas of theology and...