Poteau, Okahoma

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Dear Brethren in Christ,

I address the Adunarea and others who may be gathered for the annual conference. You all are often

on my mind and in my prayers – even those with whom I am not personally acquainted. And each of

you who are members of the Congregation are also always in my heart for God knit our hearts together

during the time Janet and I had the great privilege of living in Romania. Therefore as I write, I pray. I

pray that God might enable me to say something that would be a blessing and a help to each one of you

and more importantly, that my letter might glorify our Lord Jesus Christ who is worthy of all glory.

Believing the Bible, we believe in the absolute sovereignty of Jehovah. That means, among other things,

that you are right in the place that God decreed before the foundation of the world. We are not among

those who believe that things just happen. God has a purpose for all things and He is accomplishing His

plan. “He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall

wait for his law”(Isaiah 42:4). Our God is capable of “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from

ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my

pleasure:” (Isaiah 46:10). Verses which set forth truths such as these should give us great comfort and

at the same time stir us with zeal knowing that the Lord of Hosts will be victorious. He shall do all His

pleasure!

This great victory will come about by His strength. You, whom He has chosen to serve Him there where

you are, are valuable to Him not because of anything good in you for there is nothing good in our flesh.

But rather remember what our Brother Paul wrote to another Sovereign Grace Baptist Assembly: “For it

is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Think of it!

God says, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” and then we learn that God works in

us to desire to do and to do that very thing – His pleasure!

Each assembly of Christ is called upon to be strong for the truth. In 1 Timothy 3:15 the assemblies are

each said to be “a pillar and ground of the truth.” That truth for which we are to stand, of course, is

revealed in God’s Word. I would exhort each of you and all of you to center your lives on Christ and His

truth as revealed in the sixty-six books of the Bible. I would exhort you all to love what Jesus loved

(clearly stated to be His adunarea) and to stand for His truth – “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians

4:15). Stated another way: Be a faithful bride! Stand kindly, but firmly and without compromise for the

truth of God’s Word!

God is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we could ever ask or even think. He could enable us

to meet again on this earth, and perhaps we shall. Only He knows. But we know that when He shall

appear we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is – and when we are like Him we shall fellowship

together in a far greater way than we have ever experienced down here. So, Brethren, enjoy good

fellowship together always – and especially at this conference. And remember, the best fellowship on

earth is just a foretaste of what shall be.

Pray, please, for me as I do daily for you all. I have only found two other people who understand and

love the doctrine of salvation by grace. The town and countryside is full of Baptists, Protestants,

Charismatics, Pentecostals, Catholics, Mormons, Masons and even an Orthodox church about 30 miles

away. “Everyone here is saved,” if you listen to them. I have been able to place brief articles as ads in

the local newspapers. I have gotten a 30 minute broadcast on the local radio station with a message by

our departed Brother Cockrell. I have a Bible study with one or two people each Lord’s Day when we

are able to meet. (All three of us have health problems.) I am doing all I can to be a witness for Christ

and His truth here in this area.

Many others scattered across the U.S. pray for you too. You are greatly loved. You are in a sense like

the assembly at Rome: “your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” – if not literally the world,

many parts of it. Be faithful!

Your brother in Christ,

Curtis

P.S. I look forward to hearing from Bro. Raul that God gave you all a great conference! I am expecting it

because I know God is able and that He does bless His Word. Slava Domnului !