What A New Creation

IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, YOU ARE A NEW CREATION: EVERYTHING OLD HAS PASSED AWAY; EVERYTHING HAS BECOME NEW! 2 CORINTHIANS 5.17.

In our Gideon International monthly magazine, testimonies are printed of people from all backgrounds who get saved just because they happened to read a copy of our Bible placed in Hotels and motels or given to them!

I have reproduced some short but remarkable testimonies below to prove the truth of the Bible verse quoted above for today’s meditation. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Venezuela. Colemente Marquez. A street bum and drug addict. Wanted to kill himself by jumping before an oncoming truck. Someone gave him a New Testament (NT). He sat by the highway and read it. The power of the gospel saved him from suicide and also straightened his life.

Detroit, USA. Frank Swastek. A drug addict in college. Someone gave him a NT. He read it and got saved by its power. He became the pastor of a church.

Pennsylvania USA. Art Adams. 29 years a smoker. 26 years a drunk. 17 years on drugs. Read a Bible in a motel. The gospel is still the power of God to save!.

Columbia. A criminal in prison stole 10 New Testaments to make cigarettes and smoke. He glanced through the last one. He got saved by the Word of God. He died as a missionary.

Zambia, Africa. President Chiluba. A political prisoner. Hated his persecutors. A pastor gave him a Bible. It transformed Chiluba’s life. He became the first Christian president.

Manila, Philippines. Hubert Carmona. A taxi driver and gangster. A tourist gave him a NT. To learn English he read it. The power of God’s Word saved him. He became a pastor and has planted a host of churches and trains pastors.

Pandung, Indonesia. Paulus Sabardi Cipto. A muslim motor trishaw puller. Imprisoned for drug peddling. Read a Bible in the prison. Its power changed his life. Witnessed to his family and villagers. Started a church with 65 people.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Elengovan. A young Indian drug addict and criminal. In prison about 20 times. Finally happened to read a NT distributed in prison. Its power saved and transformed him. He is a member of a large church for many years and now a social worker.

The apostle Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1.16). Dear friend, have you been saved by the power of the gospel? If not read it from the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Once saved, the Word of God will still continue to act powerfully in the lives of those who read it daily, bringing success and prosperity, both spiritually and materially. God told Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Jos 1.8).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, stir up my heart to read Your Word daily and be blessed and become a blessing to others. In Christ’s Name. Amen.