Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus the Christ, 

Revelation 13:10c

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“…Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” “…This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” “…But do not be dismayed, for here is your opportunity to have endurance and faith.” “…Meanwhile, God’s holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground.” “Herein is [the call for] the patience and the faith and fidelity of the saints (God’s people).”

 Faith hangs on (divine) love and is under-girded by patience. That is, the things of God are by faith which is powered by love. Fear is the opposite of faith, and hate is the opposite of love; hence behavior in opposition to the way of God are of the enemy whose only purpose is to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). The power of patience is the good fruit that comes to the aid of faith when those in Christ have done everything in keeping with the WORD of God; and await the manifestation thereof. More specifically, relationship with God the Father through Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit is of free-will. The fact that God’s love for you and I is unconditional means that every gift from Him is by His grace; yet nothing of God is accessed without faith. Those made sons and daughters of God through Christ Jesus share an inheritance given before the foundation of the world. That is, God the Father knew you and I even before we were birthed in the natural realm, and He pre-ordained everything necessary to fulfill our assignment(s) upon rebirth, by the blood of Jesus, in the spirit realm. Faith rest in God; faith is trust in God; faith stands firmly on the WORD of God; faith believes what God said and continues to say. Therefore, obeying/acting on/doing in keeping with God’s WORD exemplifies confidence in the entitlement bought & brought by the blood of Jesus. Faith isn’t being a doormat to the bad behavior of others; ‘though judgment is reserved for God alone, discernment by the teachings of the Holy Spirit facilitates the ability to recognize good fruit. Faith is evidenced by good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-discipline (Galatians 5:22); and as branches on the Vine who is the Lord Jesus, we are commanded to bear good fruit. Therefore exercising faith as well as obeying God’s commands are of free-will; yet the things of God (i.e., deliverance, healing, health, wealth, wisdom, etc.) manifest by doing in keeping with God’s WORD just as Jesus exemplified (John 8:38, 12:49 & 14:10). God does not change according to the whims of man; hence sons and daughters of God are not called to agree with behavior contrary to the way of God (Leviticus 18:1-24; Deuteronomy 22:5; Romans 1:24-32; 1Co 6:9-18). Rather, we “. . . boldly move forward in the defense and confirmation of the gospel of Christ with clarity and gentleness; increasingly living each day as walking epistles of the light who is Jesus…”  (see CKMusing223). 

Speak the promise . . . Harriet