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Text Box: This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” - Joshua 1:8 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [ I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.” - 3 John 2 Today I would like to continue part two of this three part series of “Ingredients for Success in Life.” As we saw in part one that the first ingredient for success was that “Change is the way of life.” What that meant was, that we must first start with changing our perception of how we see our lives. I also talked about that success begins with changing our thoughts about how we see ourselves. And not to allow the thoughts about ourselves hinder or stop us from receiving all the promises of God for our lives. In this issue I would like to continue this series with the second important ingredient for success in life. Which is . . . Faithfulness: A Necessary Ingredient for Success It has been said that, “God does not hold us responsible for success; He holds us responsible for faithfulness — Unknown Faithfulness — God’s faithfulness should be so deeply reflected in the lives of His people that they can be called simply “the faithful.” Faithfulness is expected in Christian believers. “. . . But the JUST SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH.” - Habakkuk 2:4 The just (those who have been declared righteous) shall live (their lives) by faith, or faithfulness, firmness, stability, enduring and a steadfast unchanging lifestyle. Another way to read this is– “The righteous person by his or her faithfulness shall they live.”

Text Box: “A faithful man will abound with blessings . . . ”. - Proverbs 28:20 From what we have already read of faithfulness in Habakkuk 2:4, we can read this passage from Proverbs 28 like this . . . A stable man will abound with blessings . . . An enduring man will abound with blessings. . . A steadfast and unchanging man will abound with blessings . . . So we see from these Scriptures that God’s will for our lives is blessings and success. However, to obtain the Father’s blessings and success we must do our part and that is to be faithful to that which He has spoken into our hearts. Be faithful to obey Him in the small things as well as the big things in our lives. Be faithful to what God has called upon you to do, even in the midst of the trials in our lives. “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life (or faithfulness) is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” - James 1:2-4 (The Message Bible) Look at Joseph in the Old Testament. He remained faithful to God through all those many years of trials and persecution (See Genesis 37-41). Also take a good look at Jesus, who is our ultimate example of how to live our lives. “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. - Hebrews 5:8 So don’t jump ship. Don’t quit when things are not going the way that you want them to go. Be a faithful man or woman of God, and you will become mature and well developed in your character and witness for Christ Jesus. Faithfulness is a necessary ingredient to have in our lives in order to experience the blessings and success that God has for our lives. CLC

Text Box: The Good Report Spreading God’s News

Text Box: Winning Hearts to Jesus Renewing Minds with the Word of God Transforming Lives Forever

Volume 1 Issue 2

September 2005

By Rev. David S. Calcagno

Pastor David and his wife Sherry are the Senior Pastor of Christian Life Church in San Leandro, CA. They have severed as Senior Pastors since 1997, and are committed to helping people grow in their knowledge and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to reach their full potential in their relationship with God, through the practical preaching and teaching of God's Word.