07.30.13 The Gideon Bibles are here!!!

When we were getting the cabins ready to open for the season I noticed that a couple had Gideon Bibles in the bedroom drawers.  I found that most did not have any.  Our family has always helped support the work of the Gideons through contributions at church when they would come to speak to us or as memorial donations when someone passed away.  Having heard story after story of lives being changed and souls being saved through individuals reading God’s Holy Word during alone time or times of desperation in a hotel or wherever they may find a Bible I believe strongly in the importance of supporting the Gideon’s work.  My step father Vivian Traylor use to take my sons with him to truck stops and other places to leave Bibles and I was so humbled by his willingness to share the Word of God with others in this manner.

I asked the owners of Northern Lights Resort if it was okay for me to contact the Gideons to get additional Bibles and after some discussion they were quite willing to let me do this.  It’s taken some time for the Bibles to arrive but they are now here and when we clean the cabins on Saturday I’ll be putting the new Bibles in the bedroom drawers in each cabin for God to use in reaching our guests.  The owners were not familiar with the Gideons and I realize that others may not be as well so I gathered some information on their history, who they are and what they do.  They are not fanatical evangelists who scare people more than reach them.  They are just regular folks like  you and I who love the Lord and want to participate in spreading His Word through distributing these Bibles.

Gideon International is an evangelical Christian organization founded in 1899.  Their primary activity is distributing copies of the Bible free of charge.  The Bibles are purchased from money given by local churches of all denominations and other contributions. This Bible distribution is a global enterprise taking place in over 195 countries and in at least 84 languages, with the organization being particularly known for the copies found in hotel and motel rooms.  The organization takes it name from the biblical figure Gideon depicted in Judges 6.  More than 1.7 billion Bibles have been distributed since 1908. In addition to their well-known hotel-room Bibles, the Gideons also distribute Bibles to members of the military of various countries, to  hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and students. The Gideons draw their volunteer members from many Christian denominations. Membership is limited to current or retired businessmen and professional men age 21 and older who are members in good standing of an evangelical or Protestant church, congregation or assembly.

If you want to find out more you can check out their web page at http://www.gideons.org/

Ya’ll come back now ya’ hear!