Prayer Letter
April / May 2009

Mrs. Obu was sitting outside in the shade of her house one hot Saturday afternoon.  She was reading a book as I approached her, so I asked what she was reading.  The book was entitled, The Greatest Man that Ever Lived and immediately I directed the conversation toward that man, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Mrs. Obu seemed to understand some of the basics about salvation, but like so many Nigerians we meet, she was adding works to faith.  Hers was not truly “. . . by grace through faith . . . not by works . . . .”  So many turn the good news of the free gift of eternal life into the bad news of . . . you can lose your salvation.  They are believing “. . . another gospel: which is not another . . . .”  Please pray that the Gospel of Grace will displace this false gospel.

Pastor Allen was staying with his daughter (one of our church members) in between postings as a pastor in the Celestial Church, a homegrown African denomination whose members wear white robes to church and follow a lot of the Old Testament laws.  Last week I explained the Bible teaching on salvation and he said he had never heard it explained that way before.  I let him think about it for a few days.  Today when I visited him, he said that he agreed that salvation was by grace through faith alone.  He understood that he had formerly believed in faith plus works.  He said he was now “my disciple”.  We shall see if he will follow me to the Baptist church or turn back.

On Sunday we had two visitors as a result of our Saturday evangelism.  Our Sunday school touched on praying for the harvest.  One man said that the “laborers” for whom we should pray to go “into the harvest” (Matt. 9:38) . . . were the pastors!  Fortunately, some of the others corrected him by saying that all believers are to be witnesses.  Now if they would just be convicted about joining us in the harvest!

Please pray for Mr. and Mrs. Obu, for Pastor Allen, the evangelistic outreach of IBC, for the church land matter to be settled in our favor, for Ellen’s health (persistent cough), and for our daughter Miriam’s pregnancy (fourth month).  Three people received Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord since we last wrote!

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support.

Your fellow-laborers in Christ,
Ross and Ellen Ligon