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.

Luke 22.31-32 observes, Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from Me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.

The goal of Satan is to separate us from Jesus. Not too complicated really. Why is this important? Jesus is life, Jesus is truth, Jesus is hope, Jesus is peace with God, Jesus is our Guarantor of life everlasting.

Without Jesus, we look for life in all the wrong places, pursuing our own pleasures to our own destruction. Without Jesus, we look for truth in the created rather than the Creator leading us to do, say and believe all kinds of things that lead to our own destruction and the destruction of others. When we separate from Jesus and no longer have hope we become desperate finding no meaning and no purpose regardless of how much money or popularity we supposedly possess.

How do we become separated from Jesus? First, we ignore Him. If we spend no time in the Scriptures, we will have no relationship with Him. He sanctifies us by His Word which is true through His Spirit, Who reminds us of what He taught us. The Scriptures are our life-line to God in Christ.

Second, Satan separates us from Christ when we refuse to connect to the Church. The people of God are His body, Jesus is the head, both body and head are necessary for being truly alive. The Church is God’s gift to us for encouraging, supporting and manifesting His love for us in a practical, tangible and understandable way.

Finally, the devil separates us from Jesus when we quench the Spirit by hiding sin in our lives. Repetitive, consistent, secret absorption of that which we know is wrong sucks life from us and eventually kills our intimacy with God and the power He provides for our protection through His Spirit given to us for forming us into the image of Christ.

To beat back the devil, to stay with Jesus, we must remain in His Word, stay connected to His church and flee from evil. In this way we will know God deeply and personally and the life abundant He promised those who follow Him.

His Opportunities

1.     Your next opportunity for identifying with Jesus in order to share His message with others at a CBMC Luncheon will be October 18. Watch for more details but mark your calendar now and plan to join me at Eagle Eye for lunch with your friends who need to hear more about a personal relationship with God through Jesus the Savior.

2.      Summer giving has been a bit dry. If you could help ‘water’ this ministry this month that would be great.  COMMIT now.

 

 

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

 

CentralMichigan-circleMONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

September 4, 2018

 

Are You Simply Limping Through Life?

by Jim Langley

 

Have you ever felt like you were simply limping through life? Some days will be tougher than others, facing challenges that can seem insurmountable. My insurance career has seen exceptionally good months and some very good years, but there have been lean times as well. A lackluster economy can take a toll on anyone who sells a specific product or a service.

 

Through experience I have learned these difficult times require true dedication to your profession and perseverance. To survive, you must work more diligently, meet daily goals and not get discouraged.

 

Most successful businessmen have had multiple setbacks in life. Success has required tenacious ability to cope with difficult times and rebound as opportunities arise. This can be done without deceiving others or taking unfair advantage of your competition. Hard work and ingenuity can pay great rewards in any field of expertise. Some allow circumstances to dictate their lives, but we don’t have to limp through life.

 

In sports, baseball became my main focus during my boyhood and young adult years. As a lead-off hitter, my goal was to get on base as often as I could. I worked diligently on techniques that helped me reach base nearly half my plate appearances. Improving my understanding of the strike zone, developing good bat control and working on my bunting strategies helped greatly.

 

However, I recall limping through a portion of one baseball season with a torn hamstring, but that did not prevent me from playing every game that summer. I refused to let the injury keep me down.

 

Over the past 30 years, I have discovered deep faith can make a great difference, whether at work, trying to acquire and develop a specific skill, or just getting through everyday life. That faith is strengthened by confronting trials and realizing God desires to reveal Himself through those difficult times. Like physical exercise, one’s faith can only be strengthened through putting it to use.

 

A biblical account recorded in Genesis 32:22-32 describes Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord. Jacob’s life was filled with struggles, but on this particular occasion he would not let go of God. Jacob asked Him to bless him and he got his wish. However, the Lord touched the socket of Jacob’s hip, causing him to walk with a limp the rest of his life. Nevertheless, God did bless him, even giving him a new name, Israel. He became the ancestral father of the nation of Israel, which traces its lineage to him even now.

 

One of the best illustrations for all who follow Jesus Christ is the life of the apostle Paul. His tenacity in remaining strong through adversity has shown us what faith looks like when it is put into action. His teachings and personal example have inspired countless millions over the past 2,000 years to follow Jesus and surrender to Him.

 

The apostle suffered greatly for the cause of Christ, to the point of his eventual death. Most of us will not have to face death for our faith, but we must persevere for His sake and the sake of those He puts into our path throughout this journey of life. Consider your life precious to our Lord, as it is, and realize that even if you must “limp” in some way, you can still hold your head high and persevere for the sake of Christ, experiencing the abundant life He has promised (John 10:10).

 

Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God. His goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. A long-time member of CBMC, he started writing “Fourth Quarter Strategies” in 2014.

  

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

 

CentralMichigan-circle MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

September 4, 2018

 Reflection/Discussion Questions 

  1. Are you “limping” through life now, whether due to some physical malady or disability, or because of circumstances that are hindering you in striving to advance through life? If so, briefly describe what you are presently dealing with.

  

  1. How easy have you found it to ignore the problems that cause you to “limp,” or to persevere through those challenges? What poses the greatest difficulty for you?

  

  1. Are you familiar with the story in the Bible about Jacob wrestling with the angel of God, His representative, to receive the Lord’s blessing? Would you ever consider doing something like that? Why or why not?

  

  1. What is your typical response to adversity, obstacles that can sometimes seem so formidable that you are tempted to lose heart and give up?

  

NOTE: If you would like to consider other things the Bible says about this topic, read and reflect on the following passages: Genesis 32:22-28; Proverbs 24:16; Romans 12:3; Hebrews 11:21; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7

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

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.

Luke 22.31-32 observes, Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from Me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.

The goal of Satan is to separate us from Jesus. Not too complicated really. Why is this important? Jesus is life, Jesus is truth, Jesus is hope, Jesus is peace with God, Jesus is our Guarantor of life everlasting.

Without Jesus, we look for life in all the wrong places, pursuing our own pleasures to our own destruction. Without Jesus, we look for truth in the created rather than the Creator leading us to do, say and believe all kinds of things that lead to our own destruction and the destruction of others. When we separate from Jesus and no longer have hope we become desperate finding no meaning and no purpose regardless of how much money or popularity we supposedly possess.

How do we become separated from Jesus? First, we ignore Him. If we spend no time in the Scriptures, we will have no relationship with Him. He sanctifies us by His Word which is true through His Spirit, Who reminds us of what He taught us. The Scriptures are our life-line to God in Christ.

Second, Satan separates us from Christ when we refuse to connect to the Church. The people of God are His body, Jesus is the head, both body and head are necessary for being truly alive. The Church is God’s gift to us for encouraging, supporting and manifesting His love for us in a practical, tangible and understandable way.

Finally, the devil separates us from Jesus when we quench the Spirit by hiding sin in our lives. Repetitive, consistent, secret absorption of that which we know is wrong sucks life from us and eventually kills our intimacy with God and the power He provides for our protection through His Spirit given to us for forming us into the image of Christ.

To beat back the devil, to stay with Jesus, we must remain in His Word, stay connected to His church and flee from evil. In this way we will know God deeply and personally and the life abundant He promised those who follow Him.

His Opportunities

1.     Your next opportunity for identifying with Jesus in order to share His message with others at a CBMC Luncheon will be October 18. Watch for more details but mark your calendar now and plan to join me at Eagle Eye for lunch with your friends who need to hear more about a personal relationship with God through Jesus the Savior.

2.      Summer giving has been a bit dry. If you could help ‘water’ this ministry this month that would be great.  COMMIT now.

 

 

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