The Blessing of Bible Intake - Giveaways

What is the Blessing of Bible Intake conference? Click here!

Part of our heart for this conference is to give away resources that will be useful both to pastors and laypersons alike.  There are over 40 giveaways this year! Some consisting of individual items and others of several items together.  Here are just a few of the items we are giving away:

• 2 ESV Study Bibles
• 1 ESV Gospel Transformation Bible
• 1 ESV Journaling Bible
• Some more great Bibles!
• Why We Trust the Bible - DVD Teaching Series by Dr. Stephen Nichols
• 2 Gift Packs from Seeds Family Worship
• Books from Conference Speakers 
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Don Whitney
• Don Whitney's new book Praying the Bible
• The Pilgrim's Progress Desiring God edition
• 2 copies of Truth Matters 
• Compact Bible Dictionary
• 2 Truth Remains DVDs
• 2 copies of Steve Lawson's book on William Tyndale
• And more!

Each conference attendee will also receive a conference packet with various resources in relation to our theme this year. Registration is not required to attend this conference.  However, each person who registers by August 1st will increase their chances of winning some of these giveaways.  Anyone is welcome to attend the conference. The goal is obviously to impact Van Buren County but we are looking forward to visiting with fellow Believers from around the great state of Arkansas. Register today!

The Blessing of Bible Intake - 8/29/15 Schedule

• 10am - Welcome and Session 1
• 11:15am - Session 2
• 12:15pm - 1:45pm Lunch (on your own)
• 1:50pm - Session 3
• 2:50pm - Session 4
• 3:50pm - Break
• 4:00pm - Session 5
• 5:30pm - Dismissal
• Sunday Morning (8/30) Jared Wilson will be speaking at Immanuel Baptist Church of Clinton and Jim Elliff will be speaking at First Baptist Marshall

Conference is FREE.  This includes all sessions, conference packet, and giveaways.  Lunch will be on your own.  Registration is not required but would be a huge help to us.  Please click the link below to register.

The Blessing of Bible Intake - Registration

Meet the Speakers

The Blessing of Bible Intake - Main Page

You may also help by liking our Facebook page and spreading the word about this conference...

The Blessing of Bible Intake - Conference Speakers

• Bob Lepine: Bio   Twitter
• Kelly Jones: Bio   Twitter
• Jared Wilson: Bio   Twitter
• Jeff Johnson: Bio   Twitter
• Jim Elliff: Bio Twitter

(Register HERE!)

The Blessing of Bible Intake - August 29, 10am

With such great feedback from our Privilege of Prayer conference last year, Immanuel Baptist Church, Clinton, AR is happy to announce our conference for this year!:

The conference is completely free and open to everyone, but we do ask that you register so that we can be better prepared to serve you! See links below for registration and more info:

The Blessing of Bible Intake - Registration

Conference Schedule

Meet the Speakers

Like our Facebook Page for News and Updates on the Conference 

Directions to the Church

Hotel Information

Also, we have a limited number of posters for the conference that we would be happy to provide your church for advertising. We will be able to provide this only as they are available. You will see my contact information on the last question of the registration page.

If there are any other questions you may email our church.

Blessed are Those Who Mourn

6 Things Gospel Mourning Entails:

1. It is intense –

In the previous blog we discussed that being poor in spirit means:

We can’t be full of self. We acknowledge our guilt and corruption.
We acknowledge our bankruptcy. We are humble.

It is one thing to agree with those, or verbalize mental ascent, yes I concur. I confess. But it is quite another to be broken over it. There is a natural flow of mourning out of those who are poor in spirit. This mourning for your own sins should be intense. (This is the same word James uses in James 4:8-10)

2. Recognizes Culpability in the Cross – 

This is why Jesus went to the Tree. Because your sin put Him there.

Gospel Mourning realizes, Jesus didn’t just endure suffering for sin in general, but MY sin. MY sin subjected Him to the wrath of God. MY sin nailed Him to the Cross. I smote Him with the Cat-O-Nine tails. I shouted “CRUCIFY HIM!”

3. Gospel Mourning mourns particular sins –

Not just ‘forgive me of my many sins’ but “Oh God, forgive me for my failure to control my tongue…that angry thought…that selfish deed.”

4. Doesn’t seek to defend or explain sin –  “True repentance makes no excuses and offers no rationalizations. It grieves for sin from a broken heart.” -Charles Quarles

Well the REASON I did this was…. If it weren’t for that person I wouldn’t have…. 

No. I am guilty. I am broken. I am undone. I mourn.

5. Turns from Sin and Hates Sin - Cain, Esau, Pharaoh, Judas – all of these men offered a semblance of repentance.

Is saying ‘I’m sorry’, & shedding tears, & even actually feeling sorrow, is that enough? Is that true gospel mourning?

See 2 Cor. 7:10 – Have you been stricken with godly grief? Not “I don’t want to go to hell” or “people will think less of me because of that sin." But struck with a hatred of sin and a turning from it? Have you seen sin as offensive because it is an affront to GOD is HOLY & WORTHY? Have you seen God’s definition of Sin, not your own?

Blessed are those who mourn! Who mourn their own sin. Who hate it. Who are broken by it.

6. Gospel mourning is a continual mourning – Blessed are those who mourn (present tense)

We aren’t just talking about the moment you 'got saved'. In a very real sense the more we grow, the more we mourn BECAUSE we see the depth of our sinfulness. As a babe in Christ we may believe sin is just those things out here that we shouldn’t do. But as we grow in the Lord we realize, the need for continued repentance and the continued grace of God.


When is the last time you mourned like this over your sin? Have you ever mourned like this over your sin? Do you realize that this type of mourning is evidence of those who’ve been changed by grace?

And let us not forget the promise of Jesus: Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. But you'll have to listen to the sermon to hear that part! You can do so by clicking HERE.

“There must be a real sense of sin before the remedy for it will even be desired…The Gospel promises no mercy except to those who forsake sin and close with Christ.” A.W. Pink

Reminder: These are simply notes directly from the sermon which was preached at Immanuel Baptist Church on February 8, 2015.  You can see the previous blog on the poor in spirit by clicking HERE.

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..." Matthew 5:3

This is directly from my sermon notes so it may not be the best 'blog format.' But as we go through the Sermon on the Mount here at Immanuel Baptist, I will attempt to share what we are learning.

What then does it mean to be poor in spirit?

First, let me emphasize that this is key to understanding the Sermon on the Mount. This verse is NOT a command. It is simply a statement of truth. When interpreted rightly it helps us to understand the rest of the sermon.

None of the commands given in the Sermon on the Mount are carried out by anyone other than those who are poor in spirit. No one possesses the Kingdom of Heaven other than those who are poor in spirit.

So, it is vital for us to understand rightly what this does mean:

1. Poor in Spirit is opposite of those in the kingdom of this world

Self. Self-sufficient. Self-confidence. Me. Me. Me. It is impossible to be full of self and full of Christ. You cannot be rich in self and poor in spirit at the same time.

2. Poor in spirit means we acknowledge our guilt – (see Mt. 4:17)

To tell someone to repent is not popular! Let me be clear: calling someone to repentance isn’t devaluing them as a human. It isn’t saying that they are less of a person than anyone else.

It is simply calling them to acknowledge their guilt before God.

The poor in spirit acknowledge their guilt. They know that they cannot plead ‘not guilty’ before the judge. The evidence is stacked against them. Guilty as charged. Any sentence God could execute on us, we deserve. The fiery flames that would torment our immortal souls for ages upon end are but our just desserts…

3. Being Poor in spirit is an acknowledgement of our corruption

A lot of people who claim to be Christians will agree on the previous point. But on this point they may have an objection. Maybe some of you will have an objection. To be poor in spirit not only means you acknowledge your guilt, but also that you acknowledge your corruption.

Not only are you guilty before God, but you are broken. In and of yourself you are vile, wretched, and an inventor of evil. If we can lie to save ourselves & not get caught we will. If we can cheat & not get caught we will. We will justify ourselves in our sinful actions any way we can.

There is nothing in your natural self not tainted with sin. The highest thought you can think on your own is putrid. The best prayer you can pray on your own is worth 10,000 eternities in hell. Now, look, you are not any less valuable than any other human being on the planet. But we aren’t comparing one another to other humans are we?

We are comparing ourselves to God. And when we see that picture, we say with Isaiah: WOE IS ME

4. Poor in spirit is an acknowledgement of our bankruptcy –

Not only are we guilty. Not only are we corrupt. But we are also helpless.
We are bankrupt. Is this not the common understanding of the word poor? We are impoverished in spirit. We do not have the resources necessary to change anything about our condition.

Think of a man in prison. He is on death row. He has lost everything. A real estate agent comes to him and says “I will give you a great deal on a beautiful island in the pacific. It is everything you could ever dream.” The inmate can do nothing about that. Not only does he not deserve the island but there is nothing within his power to obtain it. He is bankrupt.

5. Poor in spirit is an inward humility

Of course inward humility leads to outward humility. But outward humility can also be false humility. (For example: Mt. 6:1)

It is possible to put on a show of our so called ‘humility.’

But for the poor in spirit, the humility wrought by the Holy Spirit begins in the heart. When we compare ourselves to God we understand we deserve nothing but hell. We don’t deserve tomorrow’s sunrise, let alone the pleasures of knowing Christ…

AW Pink said “To be poor in spirit is to realize that I have nothing, am nothing, & can do nothing, & have need of all things.” We sing the song don’t we? Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the Cross I Cling...  The poor in spirit are the only ones who inherit the Kingdom of Heaven! (see also Isaiah 57:15, 66:2)

Look, those who give a tip of the hat to God and acknowledge maybe they need Him for some things are not poor in spirit. Each breath God gives is not something we deserve but a sheer act of mercy. We need God! We need Him and we do not deserve Him! This sheds a light on the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. What Jesus commands us to do in the Sermon on the Mount is not hard. It’s impossible in and of ourselves. I can’t look within myself and turn the other cheek. I want revenge. I can’t fast without trying to manipulate God or be showy. These standards are impossible for any natural man!

And yet, this is why Jesus begins here. No man has been filled with the Gospel unless He has first been crushed by God’s Holy Law.

As Lloyd-Jones says “the Gospel condemns before it releases.” Are you poor in spirit? – If not, the kingdom of heaven is not yours. Have you looked to Christ and felt the crushing weight of His holiness? Have you seen yourself as nothing, as less than nothing, and justly deserving of the full measure of His wrath?

To be filled you must first be emptied. To be healed you must first be broken. But look at the sweet promise mentioned from the lips of Jesus:

“BLESSED are the poor in spirit FOR theirs IS the Kingdom of heaven!”

Nothing in us deserving of God’s love. Of God’s Grace. Of God’s forgiveness. And yet, what did He do? – He came to rescue us anyway. He taught us the way is through Him. And He went to the cross to take our sin, our unworthiness, our failure, our guilt, our corruption upon Himself. God judged Jesus on the cross as if He were us!

As the Holy Spirit brings the truths to our eyes we must repent. We must acknowledge our poverty of spirit and turn to Him knowing He is full of grace and will in no wise cast out. Look to Christ! Cast yourselves on His mercy! Salvation is only by the sheer grace of God.


Can you see how being poor in spirit is essential?

You can listen to the entire sermon HERE

Have we Forgotten How to Mourn?

Recently we've began a series through the Sermon on the Mount at our church and I've been reading some of Thomas Watson's work on the Beatitudes. I was struck this morning by some of the things he wrote about gospel mourning. In partticular his thought that there are 3 special seasons of extraordinary mourning for the Christian "when it should be as it were high-water in the soul." I will list those seasons according to Watson, and offer some thoughts on why I find it so relevant.

1. When there are tokens of God's wrath breaking forth in the nation -

Mind you, Watson lived in England during the 17th century.  I am not sure what he would say about the United States of the 21st century.  Do we not see tokens of God's wrath breaking forth in our nation? Men and women given over to their own lusts.  Babies being murdered.  Idols of various shapes and sizes worshiped with no shame. The love of money, the love of self, and the love of profane pleasures flaunted about...

This has made us all angry for years.  But when is the last time it broke us? Watson writes "Rain follows thunder. When God thunders in a nation by His judgmeents, now the showers of tears must distill...If the Lord seems to be packing up and carrying away His gospel - it is now high time to mourn." 

2. Before the performing solemn duties of God's Worship - "Christian, are you about to seek God in an extraordinary manner? 'Seek Him sorrowing' (Luke 2:48)."

There is much talk about revival in our day.  There are exhortations for churches and denominations to collectively seek God's face for revival. And for these things I am grateful. However, how are we seeking for this revival? Is it in true Christ wrought gospel mourning? Why do we want revival? Because we want our churches to be filled so we can get a pat on the back and prove to the pagans that we are right? So that we can elect a Republican president? So that we can get the glory? None of us would say those things, but let us examine our hearts.

Beloved, let us mourn.  I don't know a single instance of revival in the bible or in church history were people were not broken.  I place the blame upon myself as well as the rest of the church in this indictment. If we truly want revival, then we are telling God to break our hearts. 

3. After scandalous relapses - "There is no mercy without bitter mourning."

I doubt most churches would know what a Solemn Assembly is.  Have we forgotten the heinousness of sin? The scandal of it? It's repugnant and God-hating nature?

Are we too proud to repent? Are we too proud to mourn? 

We are so busy with our innovations and strategies that we have failed to take time to mourn our grievances against a Holy and righteous God. Again, notice I say 'we'. Can we expect God to bless our efforts for church revitalization, church planting, evangelism, and reformation if we fail to mourn our sin? I am thankful that God in His grace continues to reach people for His own eternal glory despite our shortcomings.  However, shall we not be burdened by the reality that God promises to dwell with those who are of a humble and contrite spirit (Is. 57:15)?

After all, Jesus says "Blessed are those who mourn..." So, if we aren't mourning for the sin in our own lives, the sin in the church, and the sin in society, are we blessed or not?

Will you mourn with me? Jesus promises "...for they shall be comforted."

How foolish this may seem to a worldly mindset! 'Happiness' is what we should seek, not mourning! But it is only those who mourn who find true gospel comfort, peace, and joy.