Preaching is Necessary:

After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.Acts 8:25

Preaching the gospel, so that others can hear the message of forgiveness and salvation, is one of the best things we can do as a Christian.

There are a few verses I want to share with you, and an amazing modern day story of a brave preacher.

Romans 10:9,10

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Professing our faith is part of being saved.

Romans 10:14

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

How can people believe in Jesus and call on Him, if they have not heard about Him? How can they hear about Him, unless someone preaches to them?

Here is an amazing story of a preacher named, Andy Meakins. His story is found here. Franklin Graham told his story this way:

Traveling in Ethiopia brought to mind a man I met there and got to know in the 1980s. Andy Meakins was a gentle giant of the faith, an Englishman who loved Jesus Christ and served Him in Africa for many years. In 1996 an Ethiopian Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed into the ocean just off the Comoros Islands after running out of fuel—you may have heard the story. The dramatic moment of impact was caught on home video and broadcast around the world. Only later did we learn of something even more dramatic happening in the cabin as the plane headed for disaster.

Andy Meakins and his wife were on that plane, seated together. The hijackers demanded to be flown to Australia even though there wasn’t nearly enough fuel for that distance. As they neared the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, one engine flamed out, and the pilot told passengers that the remaining engine would soon run out of fuel as well. Immediately, Andy’s wife heard the snap of a seatbelt being unbuckled and turned to see her husband stand up.

“Many of us might die in this crash,” he called out, “so there’s something you need to know.” Andy then began explaining the Gospel simply and urgently, moving to each part of the cabin so that everyone would hear. He invited people to place their trust in Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. A flight attendant heard Andy’s words, bowed her head, and asked Jesus to forgive her sins and come into her heart. She watched many more respond and, along with another survivor, later told the story. Of the 175 people on board, 125 died, including Andy, who was still on his feet preaching the Gospel as the plane hit the water.

Every day tens of thousands of people slip from this world into eternity—the vast majority unprepared, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1, NKJV). We need to take every opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Gospel, the only message that will make a difference to a lost soul. Just like an airplane going down, time is running out.

You can read more of Andy Meakin’s wife’s account of the crash, as she was a survivor, and relayed this story to her church. She said twenty people gave their lives to the Lord on that plane.Her account is in a book, “Revelation from Now to Forever”, by John Barnett:

https://books.google.com/books?id=3rnMYiHoiZcC&pg=PA168&lpg=PA168&dq=Andy+Meakins&source=bl&ots=vVmpYw5QWw&sig=7ecyS8DZyf5qyAhjBG_DNjlSWSk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1-MmVaLtLcPyoAS7x4HoDg&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Andy%20Meakins&f=false

Dear God, help us to be bold to preach the gospel, so that others will know to call on You and believe in You. I pray that You would send workers for the harvest, so people can know about salvation through Jesus, Your Son. I pray that You would prepare many hearts to hear Your word, and accept it. I pray for people to repent, turn from evil, and do good. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

-Dawn-

Image of “preaching” from pixshark.com