Mission of the Gideons

Previous Sunday at FGA, we were privileged to have a special speaker from Gideons International. First founded in 1899, the Gideon’s organization has thrived incredibly until this day, distributing copies of the Bible in over 80 languages and 190 countries to those who might not otherwise encounter it. Close to 1.5 billion copies are estimated to have been distributed since 1908. The chief goal of the Gideons is to place as many Bibles as possible in every hotel, motel or hospital room all around the world.

In the morning’s message, the speaker emphasized to us 5 characteristics of the Word beginning with the letter P.

Firstly, the Word has Power. The speaker spoke of an instance where a man was about to commit suicide with a gun to his head. Then, before he pulled the trigger, he was drawn to the drawer of his hotel room and found a Gideon’s Bible and began to read. At the end of it, he gave his life to Christ and left a new man of peace. A pregnant waitress hooked on drugs was given a Gideon’s Bible and threw it across the room at home. But one day, she came across it again, and it changed her life and gave her hope to bring up her poor baby who was born addicted to drugs. A Russian murderer used some torn out pages of a Gideon’s New Testament to light his cigarette and read that God loved him. He wept for no one had ever loved him and went to find a pastor where he was saved, and the entire village came to know the Lord. Time and again, God’s Word has shown great power in changing lives, and believing that, Gideons all over the world give out free Bibles, to hotels, hospitals, colleges.

Secondly, the Word must be planted. The key premise of the Gideon’s is to plant as many Bibles as they can all over the world, never knowing when any one of them might be used by God at any given moment. There was a drug lab hidden in the jungles of Colombia that contained one Gideons New Testament. The 40 people in the lab would draw lots to see who would be able to read it. Later, 12 of these people became Pastors.

Thirdly, the Word must be preached. In conjunction with the planting of Bibles in all places, the availability of servants of God present everywhere is also very important, to lead those who are touched to the Lord.

Fourthly, the Word will prosper. The Gideons believe the verse that the Word of God going forth will not return void. Somehow, somewhere, the Word of God will touch the heart of somebody. Believing this, Gideons faithfully continue distributing the Bible, trusting that their sacrifice will not be in vain.

Finally, the Word of God must be practiced. Ultimately, those who read the Word of God and are changed by it must continue obeying it for the Word to take any lasting effect.

May the Lord help us experience the power of God’s Word, plant it deeply in our lives, watch it prosper as we grow, be involved of its preaching wherever we are and learn to practice it as it changes us to become more and more like Christ.

God bless, Jason