14 - The Blood of Jesus: the Chaplain, the dream, and the G.I.!
The 516th Personnel Services Company in Viet Nam managed the payrolls for several other Companies. Our camp was set up in Cam Ranh Bay which was a fairly secure location insofar as the fighting was concerned. The only time it came under serious attack by the Viet Cong was during the Tet Offensive on January 30, 1968, about two months after I had returned to the United States.
Nevertheless, Cam Ranh Bay was situated in a war zone and it was necessary to maintain a guard around the camp to ensure that the Viet Cong did not infiltrate. I was on guard patrol around our camp late one night, about 1:00 A.M.
if memory serves, when a very significant event occurred. But before going further, a little background information would help to put it into context.
While in Viet Nam, I did not normally attend chapel. That said, I found myself off duty one Sunday morning and decided to attend. On that Sunday, the Chaplain was talking about the blood of Jesus and what it meant for us. Bottom line of what he said was that the blood of Jesus was, in God’s eyes, a covering for the things we do that would ordinarily warrant rejection by God. His message agreed with the message I had heard way back when I accepted Jesus in my life and was baptized in Miami; that is, that the blood of Jesus is a covering for our sins. The truth of the matter is that, being honest with myself, I did not have to look too deep to know that there were things in my life that shouldn’t be there. It was good to be reminded again that the blood of Jesus was a covering of my sins and I felt better for it.
That said, two weeks later I was not feeling good about myself and in the doldrums again. I went to sleep one night considering how I felt about myself and was doubting whether I could really believe what the chaplain had said. That night, God intervened and I had a dream about it. In this dream, as I stood on the ground below, I saw a person who I understood to be Jesus floating in the air carrying a pitcher of his blood. During the dream I observed that Jesus would occasionally pour out some of his blood over me that covered my sins; just as the chaplain had said. When I woke up, I believed it to be a dream from God reminding me, yet again, that my sins were covered.
Well, this brings us back to the point in which I found myself on guard duty on the perimeter of the camp late one night. My mind was not on my duty as it should have been; I was in the doldrums again. As I considered the issues and the answer God appeared to be giving me through the message from the Chaplin and the dream, in a moment of frustration I said (silently of course): “God, if that was really you speaking through the Chaplain and through the dream, then I need you to show me; right now. I need to hear it with my ears and see it with my eyes”. No sooner had I finished this prayer when I looked over and saw this G.I. come out of his tent (about 50 yards away). I decided I better keep an eye on him.
I watched him as he turned and started making his way toward me. He continued towards me and stopped about eight feet away, looked me in the face and said: “the Lord has already spoken to you about this”. Without another word, he then turned around and made his way back to his tent. The truth of the matter is that it was only at this time that I finally accepted and believed the reality of the sacrifice that Jesus made; the reality of the sacrifice of his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Clearly the message of the Chaplain and the message of the dream were from God.
Notes
What is the significance of this experience?
Is it the fact that God demonstrated the reality of Jesus through these three events? Is it the miraculous manner in which God responded? Is it the relief I gained from knowing that, because of the blood of Jesus, everything was “okay” between myself and God? The answer is yes to each of these questions but there is much, much more to be said about the significance of this experience.
The Bible makes it clear that, in the world we live in, thoughts, words, and actions of which God disapproves can be an obstacle to a relationship between ourselves and God. Moreover, the Bible makes it clear that there can come a point at which God will hide his face, will close his ears, and will turn away from those who continue to ignore him and engage themselves in thoughts, words, and actions of which he disapproves. The Bible also makes it clear that no one is perfect; that all of us to a degree engage in thoughts, words, and actions of which he disapproves. Hopeless it would seem EXCEPT Jesus changed all that.
In my words, here is what happened: God and Jesus made a compact. God said to Jesus that if he was willing to go and offer himself on the cross for us….to die for us….that for those who would accept Jesus, He (God) would accept the blood that Jesus shed as a covering for our thoughts, words, and actions of which He disapproved; that is, our sins. This means that for those who accept Jesus, their sins will no longer, of themselves, present an obstacle in terms of approaching God and having a relationship with Him. Plainly stated, this means that, for those who accept Jesus, God will turn his face toward them, see them, hear them, and enter into a relationship through his Holy Spirit with them….both in the present world we live in today AND in the world to come. This is the most important underlying and significant point of this experience.
Why is this? The answer is that once we are aware of the reality of God, of the reality of Jesus, of the reality that our sins are covered, AND of the reality that God’s face is now turned toward us, will see us, and will hear us; there is now (for those who have accepted Jesus) a doorway to God through which we may enter and approach him in confidence. The name of this doorway is called faith and it is extremely important. It is through this doorway of faith that a relationship with God is maintained and the blessings of God are appropriated in our life; both now and in the world to come. Through this doorway of faith we can approach Him, have a relationship with Him, ask for help, for wisdom, for direction; and receive it.
There are many scriptures that speak to the importance of faith but probably the one that makes it most plain is the one that says: “They that come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.” Another scripture puts it this way: “..but the just shall live by his faith.” A word about faith: faith is of little value if it is only a “flash in the pan”. Multiple scriptures reflect that real faith is characterized by persistence, perseverance, steadfastness, and endurance despite doubt, conflict, and time. The adage “never give up” is most appropriate when it comes to faith (belief and trust in God).
As the experiences described within this website reflect; there were multiple times in which God responded to to me (and at times to my wife and I). During those times we faced doubt and conflict but never gave up believing in and trusting God. Consequently we received the reward of our faith; the help of God. The scriptures themselves listed below say it better.
A side note: Some Christians, especially new Christians, think that once you have accepted Jesus and his blood has covered your sins, that its a one-time event; that is, you don’t get second chances. Did you notice that in the dream, from time-to-time (occasionally) Jesus would pour more of his blood over me to cover my sins. The point of this being that we don’t magically become “perfect” people after we accept Jesus but rather we will undoubtedly fail in terms of our thoughts, words, and deeds again…and again. The point being that Jesus is faithful to cover our future sins as well as our past sins provided we continue to believe in him; as the scriptures indicate below.
In accepting Jesus, not only is there now a doorway to God called faith through which we may enter and approach God but also a doorway to a relationship with Jesus. The scripture says it this way: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Here are some relevant scriptures
Speaking of sin in our lives: Ecclesiastes 7:20 (KJV) “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Speaking of separation from God: Isaiah 59:2 (KJV) “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Speaking of Jesus: Isaiah 53: 10-12 (NIV) “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” and John 3:16 (KJV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Speaking of the importance of Faith: Genesis 15: 6 (KJV) “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” and Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) “But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” and 1st John 5:15 “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
Speaking of perseverance; the importance of perseverance is reflected is reflected in the story of Elisha the prophet in 2 Kings 13: 15-19 (KJV) “And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” The importance of perseverance is also reflected in this quote of Jesus found in John 15:7 (KJV) “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Speaking of forgiveness; that it is not a one-time event: Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV) “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!””
Speaking of a relationship with Jesus: Revelation 3:20 (KJV) “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”