The other day, I decided to watch a documentary called, “Carlos” which is about the legendary guitar player Carlos Santana. He said something that caught my attention. “The flow of grace!” So being an investigator of sorts (smile, I believe he was Christian based on those words), I decided to look him up. Behold, an article about him becoming a Christian.
Now to the point or points of this message. I have been authoring a book about relationships, and the word flow kept popping up in my writing. A few months back I was talking to a family member, and I said, “If you are around the right people, you will flow together rather than work against each other.” Tu Lam, just the other day, mentioned the word flow to describe special operation tactics and doing what I call “movement or flow drills.” These men, through years of training together and being together on the teams, such as Army Green Berets or Navy SEALs, achieve oneness on the battlefield; having a similar mind, knowing what the other team member needs or wants, they sweep–or flow– through clearing doorways and hallways. Sometimes one of them will need a magazine or one team member might need a tourniquet applied because of a wound; nonetheless, these men operate as a team, at an extremely high level, and they get the job done day in and day to protect the people they love. Many of them call each other brother. In a comparable way, the body of Christ should operate in such a way. Having many members, oneness is achieved by having a relationship with our Creator (prayer, word of God, etc..) and having the mind of Christ. We help each other and sharpen each other spiritually through encouraging, helping each other see truth, and being there when the body needs something or someone. A team should work well together; be it tactically, romantically, politically, or even spiritually, a good team will flow together and work well together to achieve—in this case– their God given purpose. The body of Christ should be no different. As we work towards our goals, we also should remind ourselves to have mercy on each other and be there for each other. As well, we should not be too hard on ourselves and acknowledge that God’s grace–a flow of grace– empowers us to succeed. In other words, we do not have to earn every gift or blessing! Rather than seeing different denominations, we see God’s family; some of us might be weaker in the faith, or we might believe wrong or differently, but if we believe Christ crucified and we are following Him, we rest in knowing He will finish what He started, and the Holy Spirit will teach and correct as well. We do not have to be guardians over the gates of heaven. That is our Father’s job. Love God enough to flow with brothers and sisters-to flow with grace. ✌🏼
Philippians 1:3–8 (NKJV): 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:9–11 (NKJV): 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
2 John 3 (NKJV)3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
John 17:21–23 (NKJV)21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Ephesians 4:13–16 (NKJV)13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 John 3:13–15 (NKJV)13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Romans 9:14–15 (NKJV): 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.