This past weekend my husband and I attended a breakfast for pastors and their wives, hosted by the local Gideon camp. Then on Sunday, one of the Gideons came to give a temple talk at our church. In case you haven’t heard about this organization, they are the folks who put Bibles in hotel rooms; they give New Testaments to students; they hold Bible blitzs both here and abroad where they stand on street corners, offering Bibles to anyone who would like one. They also now give out a free Bible app! Although I have some issues with their theology (make a decision for Christ), I have none with their mission of putting the Holy Scripture into as many hands as possible.
Terry and I had a good friend who was a Gideon. In his final year, suffering from cancer, he would walk around the hospital where he was a patient, giving away New Testaments to other patients. His dedication to God’s Word was truly inspiring.
When you attend a Gideon event, you will be sure to hear the testimonies of people who have been converted as a direct result of receiving a Gideon Bible. At the breakfast we were treated to a video of a woman who “stole” a Gideon Bible out of a hotel room when she was a teen. Everyone in her family was a “good” person. They were generous and compassionate to others. However, they were atheists. She had no knowledge of the gospel at all. She began reading that Bible on page one, and by the time she graduated from high school, she had finished it. In college she met a Christian who witnessed to her, and she became a Christian. Many family members converted. She said that Gideon Bible would be the family Bible they would pass on — along with the story of how she “stole” it–to future generations.
“…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
If you would like to learn more about the Gideons follow this link:
You will also find a daily guide for Bible reading.
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