Hotel Bibles

[mikado5001]

I never quite understood the reason for leaving Bibles in hotels. Why do the Gideons , or any group, do that? I am not saying it's wrong at all.

Just wondering the reasons for it. And who might have come up with the idea.

Is it for outreach(evangelising)?

Do people in desperate times actually check into motels(the seedy type at the off-ramp and not the luxery ones) and actually look in the drawers? Like they do in movies. Sometimes while drunk, and or suicidal, during a thunderstorm.

I was at a Marriott this past weekend and there was a Gideon Bible, a Book of Mormon, and a biography of the Hotel chain in the night table drawer.

[ted]

I like the idea and I have used them many times over the years. I'm glad they do it still.

t.

[mikado5001]

OMG Thanks for that piece truster. I never knew that that was how it started. Amazing and PRAISE GOD FOR THE GIDEONS.

I alway had in my own mind this vision:

On a rainy stormy night. Bright flashes of lightning and loud roars of thunder grace the sky in bursts of raw sound and light. Some guy gets into a fight with his girlfriend/wife gets a gun. He goes to a hotel planning to commit suicide. He sits on the edge of the bed in a dark room. He has been drinking whiskey. The lightning flashes, and he sees something sitting on the nightstand. It is illuminated by the lightning. He turns on the light and finds an old worn out Bible. Placed inside is a ribbon. He opens up to the ribboned page and finds exactly what G-d wanted him to read. Reading this he reads more. And realizes that there is hope for him. He stays the night. And wakes up feeling like a new man. With Jesus Christ as his LORD and Savior. He reconciles with his wife and family. He thinks to himself that others in like situations need to hear Christ's Message of hope and salvation. He starts an organization made up of salesmen, and other business folk. They go around placing Bibles in hotels and motels. About a year later the man, who was this close to death, and his wife have a boy. They name him Gideon. Thus in a fit of inspiration "The Society of Bible Leaving Businessmen" changes it's name to a much easier to remember "The Gideons" realizing a short time later where the name Gideon came from. Somewhere out there Mr. Jones, the one who left the Bible is filled with great peace. As he realizes that he has done the Lord's work in forgetting his old worn out Bible.....

I admit it is a bit fancifull. But I was always a bit of a creative writer.

[mikado5001]

Hi Mikado,

Did your story come from the Beatles song, Rocky Racoon? Off the double white album, sounds just like it.

Blessings, H.

I have never heard that song, nor that album. I only own Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Recent #1'a collection. I will have to look that song up. But no I never heard it before.

[ted]

Hi Mikado,

Did your story come from the Beatles song, Rocky Racoon? Off the double white album, sounds just like it.

Blessings, H.

I was thinking along the same lines.....!

t.

[littlejoe]

My friends The Gideon does agreat deal more than put bibles in Holtel rooms. We also have the privilge to give the new testaments out at high schools and middle schools and we even give them out at some college campus. We also meet every Saturday and read from the Scripture and pray not only for eachother but for all in authority over us, plus whatever is on the heart of each indiviual that is there that morning. I am not a Gideon but a friend of the Gideons,I fill out the the form to join but because I wasn't college educated or a higher rank in the service than I achieved I was not permitted to join. As the pervious post has stated they have been around for over a 100 years. I had the pleasure to go to one of their banquets ,and a man there told us how the bible placed in the room changed his life He by the Grace of God now calls Jesus His LOrd and Saviour. They also have cards similar to the mass cards that are used by our Catholic brethen use, They in memory of you ,thinking of you and in honor of you. They use to off set some of the cost,you can donate a bible for five dollars or as many as you like for $5 a piece and the person gets a nice card saying x amount of bibles was donted in their name. Thanks to the Gideon we have new testaments to give out to our people who have the misfortune to have to stay in our Hospital, the volunteers carry them with them when we visit our people. We ask the patient if he or she would like one, if so e ake that the patient take it home with them,because the Gideon will replace itwith a new one. The Hospital that I am a pastoral care vol. requires us to do this so they the hospital don't have to worry about any germs being passed on to the next patient. So far we have had over 1000 new testaments passed in the campas that i vol for.There are two other campus's in this health care system. The Gideon have been very faithful in re supplying us. Please the Gideon in your prayer that God will contiue to bless this ministry. Love in Christ littlejoe

[Guest yod]

And they put these bibles in hotel rooms around the world....

I am thankful for them on this Thanksgiving day. It's nice to know I can just open the drawer and the Word of God is there...

[mikado5001]

And they put these bibles in hotel rooms around the world....

I am thankful for them on this Thanksgiving day. It's nice to know I can just open the drawer and the Word of God is there...

AMEN!

[backontrack]

I never quite understood the reason for leaving Bibles in hotels. Why do the Gideons , or any group, do that? I am not saying it's wrong at all.

Just wondering the reasons for it. And who might have come up with the idea.

Is it for outreach(evangelising)?

Do people in desperate times actually check into motels(the seedy type at the off-ramp and not the luxery ones) and actually look in the drawers? Like they do in movies. Sometimes while drunk, and or suicidal, during a thunderstorm.

I was at a Marriott this past weekend and there was a Gideon Bible, a Book of Mormon, and a biography of the Hotel chain in the night table drawer.

I manage a motel and have seen what they do. Thank you God for the Gideons!

[Seren]

I run a Hostel, and each of my 27 Single Beds in dormitories, has a hardback NIV Bible courteousy of the Gideons.

I have highlighted a couple of verses, John 3 v16, and Romans 3 v23 with luminous green pen, and popped business bookmarks in there! I attract all people to the hostel, but I choose to promote my own faith, Christianity.

Individuals or groups stay at my place. I find that when people are away from home, they might have time to do something that they would not normally do at home - eg look at The Bible. It can be a trifle lonely when traveling alone, and can be a good opportunity to reflect on where they are going with their lives, seek inspiration, comfort, knowledge and lessons.

Once I found scribbles in the index from a particularly troubled young man, as he's circled things he was searching for.

He then lobbed it through the attic hatch in the bedroom, any idea why?

I have also found them used as blocks to jack up the bed (Goodness only knows why!) and this offends me, that the Inspired word of God should be treated disrespectfully - if only those people could have its message revealed to them somehow.

I was worried at first, if people nicked the books but the Gideons said they don't mind people stealing the books - they would rather see them used. I agree. I wish a few more of my naughty guests would get the message!

Stella