The Ballestero Blog

The Blood Stained Church

Bob had backslid many times. He’d been in and out of the little Home Missions Church so many times that he’d lost track. He thought it had been maybe 13 or 14 times. He was ashamed. Why couldn’t he live for God? Maybe he just was one of those that God couldn’t help. Or maybe God had finally given up on him because of his many failures and weaknesses.

It had been nearly two years since he’d been back to church. The devil really wanted him to believe that there was no more hope for him. Bob was easily convinced. There was no point in even going back and trying anymore. He’d done that over dozen times without success. Besides, no one believed in him anymore. Bob was though with church and through with God, because he just knew God was through with him.

Bob was a good worker and men at the plant respected him for his abilities. His personality gained him many friends as well.

One day at work Bob got a chemical on his hand that left a bad stain. He tried to wash it off and even used hand cleaner. All his attempts to remove the stain were unsuccessful.

He was so embarrassed that night when he had to wear a suit to go to a fancy restaurant, that he kept his hand in his pocket so no one would see the stain.

The next day at work, Bob got too close to a machine and it sliced his hand deeply. Blood gushed everywhere.

“Call 911,” several people shouted. “Bob’s hurt bad!”

“Naw, don’t call 911, just take me to Med-Point.” Said Bob as he tried to wrap a shop rag around his hand and apply pressure to stop the gushing of blood.

“How bad is it?” Some one asked?

Bob took the shop rag off and wiped away the blood to see home deep the cut was. When he looked at the cut and then at his hands, he saw that the stain was gone. He immediately started to cry. The blood had washed away the stain.

His legs gave way and he fell to his knees. With tears running down his cheeks, Bob raised his hands in the air. The blood was still pumping profusely.

The men looked at Bob in amazement as they heard him speaking words they couldn’t understand.

“Call 911, Bob’s really hurt. We’ve never seen Bob cry!”

The men were concerned. Very concerned.

“Don’t call 911”, Bob said, “I’ll be alright! “

“Well if you’re alright, then why are you crying?”

Bob stopped long enough to say nineteen words that forever changed his life and restored his soul.

“Because I see for the first time in my life that the Blood of Jesus washes away my sins!”