By Wendell Elms

Years ago my mother was hit by another automobile, causing a bad break to her right ankle. After many medical attempts to fix the situation, the continuing complications eventually caused the necessity of amputation. The cause was the lack of blood flow to that lower extremity. Without blood flow throughout our bodies we cannot continue to live and be healthy. While blood does many things for us, today I emphasize the need for blood flow.

The doctors mended the broken bones, setting everything in place. Everything should have worked as planned; however, the wound simply was not receiving any blood. The flow had been stymied due to her sugar challenges.

Just as the flow of blood is necessary to life, we simply cannot afford to hinder or stop the flow of the needed fellowship and brotherhood. Blood is the most important single thing in our bodies. We know that the “life is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). Someone once said,”Love is the blood of the church.” If there is a healthy love of God among the church, a lot of other wonderful things will automatically happen—one of those being the need and desire to fellowship with people of like precious faith. When we get together in any setting, whether dressy or casual, in the church building or out, there is a.”flow” that happens. Simply defined, it is caring about others. It means entering into their world to connect and care for the situations in which they may be suffering. It is sharing the smiles, the tears, the joys, and the years. It’s the flow of brotherhood.

If there is no flow, the continuity is soon broken, and we find ourselves alone. Alone is not a good place. I need your fellowship; I need your care and concern. I don’t want to face life alone. I need to be in the flow of the church.

There was one specific thing Jesus labeled as evidence of our Christianity: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” ( John 13:35). When I read about Jesus I find Him sharing, caring, lifting, helping, blessing others in every way His power would allow.

Without a good flow of healthy blood I find myself becoming isolated, weak, pallid, spiritless, and anemic. I need the blood flow of people who believe as I believe and see truth as God’s Word proclaims it. We need it to flow into us and then flow out to others. We are a network of people held together by our roots. The flow of blood is the stuff unity is made of!

The great Sequoia trees in California that grow as high as 300 feet are known to have very shallow roots by contrast. They continue to stand, however, because their roots grow out to other trees and intertwine with their roots, thus giving them all strength to stand. This intertwining of roots seems to be working since these trees are hundreds of years old. On the contrary, because of the root system, when a giant Sequoia does fall, it usually takes other trees down with it. No man lives or dies unto himself. We all affect others. Someone said that we are a mosaic; i.e. we are the product of everyone in our lives, which is something to think about.

I encourage you to become involved in your church and your church ministries. Reach out to help and bless others. Let His love flow through you. It is what Jesus would do did do!

Wendell Elms is the District Secretary for the Texas District of the United Pentecostal Church International.