Our Mission

To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.

1 Peter 3.12 promises, the eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil.

This promise is what we would expect from a God Who is good. It makes sense to us that a good God would watch over those who do good and hear their prayers. It also makes sense to us that God would oppose those who do evil in the world. There is a disconnect however from this logic and some of our experiences. Evil in the world is a problem for people.

People expect God to do something about it. The fact that evil appears to be getting worse increases the doubt and concern about God’s reality or His goodness. The problem with evil in the world is the result of people doing bad things to people. God repeatedly commands people to do good to one another; to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. People on the other hand either ignore God or choose to follow a different, manufactured God, who gives them permission to do the evil that is in their heart to do. The One True God allows this to happen for two reasons.

First, as the promise we are discussing today states, God is looking for good people to do the right thing. Evil people are to be defeated by good people doing what pleases God. Love, service, humility, kindness, patience are to win over hate, selfishness, anger, and pride. The godly do win but sometimes the victory takes place after they lose their lives. Jesus is the best example of this but so is Martin Luther King Jr. and numerous others as well.

God plans to reward people for their deeds on earth whether good or bad: God gives good people opportunity to do good for glorifying Him on earth which He will reward in heaven. Second, because God will punish the wicked by sending them into eternal damnation where they will suffer forever, He gives ample opportunity for the evil person to repent. God does not desire to send any person to hell so He allows the evil person much time to consider their ways, hate their evil, seek His forgiveness and restore their relationship with Him and humanity.

Many people don’t like this about God. They want the rapist to go to hell. God however sees each person as a wayward child and longs with the love of a Father for that child to turn from their wicked ways and embrace His love for them. Only those who choose to ignore God and His means of salvation through Jesus the Savior their entire life on earth, will finally be sent to hell to regret their decision eternally.

If we would experience God’s presence in our lives today we must do good as He defines it in the Bible then we will experience His positive response to our prayers. We will also know the joy of doing good in the world today and receive God’s reward for that good when we face Him in person on judgement day.

His Opportunities

    1. June 2nd is the next CBMC Special luncheon at the Country Club of Lansing. Details to follow soon but mark your calendars and begin to pray for the men you will bring so they can hear how faith in Jesus changes lives!

You can support CBMC today. DONATE

CBMC Central Michigan 6011 W. St. Joseph Ste. 401 Lansing 48917  / 517 481 5996  www.lansing.cbmc.com

MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International
May 23, 2016

Advertising: Pleasing Aroma or Bad Odor?

by Rick Boxx

It seems the typical consumer holds a high level of skepticism toward advertising. According to the results of a study published on a marketing website, more than three in every four consumers – over 75 percent – believe most of the claims made in advertisements, regardless of the communications medium utilized, are exaggerated or intentionally misleading.

The men and women surveyed also identified the five industries they trust the least: weight loss; beauty supplies; alcoholic beverages; financial services, and automotive, in that order. So when we see or hear TV and radio commercials, or read newspaper, magazine or online ads for products in these areas, we are more than likely to conclude, “I do not believe it.”

In the business and professional world, one of our challenges is to sell our organizations, as well as products or services we offer. Understandably, in this process, we want to do all we can to persuade the potential buyer to try what we have to offer. However, in the excitement of attempting to do this, we can easily fall into the trap of distorting the truth and deceiving customers for the sake of the sale.

For those of us who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, such deception is very problematic. It diminishes the image we seek to establish as sincere, genuine ambassadors – representatives – for Christ in the marketplace. It also undermines our evangelistic effectiveness. Why would someone take seriously our efforts to communicate the truth and reality of Jesus if they cannot even believe what we say about the tangible products and services our companies provide?

Think of it this way: When you walk into a room and are greeted by a pleasant aroma, how does that make you feel? Does that make you want to remain there for a while? How about stepping into a room that is filled with an offensive odor? You desire to get out of there as quickly as possible, right? It is interesting that the Bible addresses this very specifically:

Is our “aroma” pleasant or repulsive? In the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 2:15 teaches that whether we are aware of it or not, we present an “aroma” to everyone we encounter: “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” Think about you walking into a café and being greeted by pleasing coffee aromas, or a florist shop where the delicate fragrances of flowers beckon for your attention? As followers of Christ, we should strive to have the same impact on those with whom we work and encounter every day in the marketplace.

Our “scents” will not make sense to some. Certainly there are those who are offended by the mere mention of Jesus Christ. That is not our problem. But when we interact with people and they discover we are His followers, we should try to leave a favorable impression. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16). 

To be effective ambassadors for Christ we must remember that even our business advertisements can serve to bring the aroma of Christ. Because they represent the values we embrace and what we believe.

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