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.

John 10:17-18 NIV “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”” https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.10.17-18.NIV

The Father loved the Son because the Son willingly laid down His life to accomplish the work of the Father. The Son was free to lay down His life because He knew He would rise again to remain with the Father forever. We, too, are loved by the Son when we lay down our lives to accomplish the work He has commanded us. We, too, are promised eternal life with the Son when we have lived a faithful, obedient life to everything He comands.

The work of the Son was to pay the penalty for sin all humanity deserves. The Son’s payment allows the Son to pardon all who come to Him for the forgiveness of their sin and commit to Him their lives of eternal allegiance. The work of the Church is the Great Commission, the mission of every Christian, which is to go everywhere to help everyone know Jesus as Savior and obey Jesus as Lord. This work requires us to lay down our lives, just as becoming the sacrificial lamb of God required the Son to lay down His life.

The Church must die to self-interest and self-preservation to identify with Jesus in a hostile world and remain insistent upon His ways in a day when people despise all manner of godliness, living instead for their own pleasures. The Church must die to self in order to remain focused on the work of God instead of engaging in the accumulation of the things of this world with all its pleasures that are all destined to be destroyed on that day when the Son returns to reward His faithful servants and to condemn forever those who denied Him by their words and deeds.

Those in the Son who die to self for the Son are promised eternal life with the Son.

Our Opportunities 

1. Join CBMC men for prayer and Bible study every Friday from 8-9 am at Panera Frandor.
2. Do you enjoy these weekly devotionals? You can listen to them daily on your favorite podcast player. The know God coach huddle is a 2-3 minute review of God’s word for application in your life. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts. 

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996 www.lansing.cbmc.com 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

June 23, 2025 

Establishing A God-Honoring Business

By D.C. Chen 

Every individual entering the marketplace possesses certain skills and abilities bestowed by God, enabling them to establish a foothold in a competitive environment. However, when everything is going well, it is easy to become self-assured, even prideful, and gradually drift away from God. This is akin to Lot in the Bible’s Old Testament, gradually moving his tent toward the sinful city of Sodom, ultimately leading to his downfall. 

When facing difficulties in business, we have two choices: to rely solely on people, or to depend on the Almighty God. Jeremiah 17:5-8 describes the different outcomes of these choices: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord… But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream…and never fails to bear fruit.” 

In 1972, shortly after my company was established, Everlight Chemical was confronted with the global oil crisis, putting the business in a difficult position. At that time, some people suggested that we appoint a legislator as our company’s chairman to secure support from banks for financing. I had to choose between relying on people and trusting in God, and chose to rely on God’s guidance and provision. 

When I was young, a missionary from Canada had encouraged us to rely on God, using those verses from Jeremiah 17. She emphasized that doing so would enable us to flourish and bear fruit abundantly in our lives. This passage of Scripture had a profound impact on me, leading me to choose to depend on God rather than on people. 

In 1988, Everlight Chemical successfully went public on the Taiwan stock market. While preparing the script for the stock-listing presentation, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude toward God and decided to include a statement: “Conducting business according to the truths revealed in the Bible will surely lead to God’s blessings and success.” Since then, in Everlight Chemical’s profile and press releases we have consistently highlighted that we are a company that strives to bear witness to God. 

At the CBMC World Convention in 1997, I learned that the purpose of Christian business differs from non-Christian enterprises in that it aims to “glorify God.” This understanding clarified for me that the mission of a Christian business is not only to bear witness to God but also to bring glory to Him. 

Everlight Chemical has faced many challenges in the high-tech industry; however, we have chosen to rely on God and entrust the success of our business to Him. Thanks to God’s grace, direction and faithful provision, we have been blessed with talent, wisdom, and great customers, allowing many new ventures to gradually turn from losses to profits. 

I believe the success of our company is undoubtedly a manifestation of God’s grace. As stated in Micah 6:8, we are “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Walking with the Lord and establishing an intimate relationship with Him enable us to remain steadfast in the ever-changing marketplace and to bear witness to Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” 

Ding-Chuan Chen – D. C. Chen – is the founder of Everlight Chemical, a publicly listed advanced dye and high-tech chemical company in Taiwan. The company currently operates subsidiaries in six countries worldwide and has more than 1,800 employees. He is the author of “Ever Admire the Light” and “Higher Ground”; has been a member of CBMC for more than 50 years; serves as the Honorary Chairman of CBMC Taiwan and has previously held the positions of Chairman for both CBMC Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as an International Director of CBMC. He actively participates in various Christian ministries and charitable organizations. 

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

June 23, 2025

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. What different outcomes can arise from choosing to rely on people rather than relying on God when a business faces challenges?
2. Have you ever felt prideful due to the smooth operation of your business, leading you to become self-reliant and to drift away from God? If so, what impact has this had on your business or your life?
3. In what ways can the success of a business serve as a testament to or glorify God? How do you practice this in your daily operations?
4. In your life, what individuals or events have encouraged you to rely more on God – through their example or their counsel? Describe the influence they have had on you? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 145:9-16, 97:7-11, 113:1-4; Matthew 6:25-34 

Challenge for This Week 

In the coming week, take some time to reflect on how you rely on God in your work and daily life. Record some of the decisions you make each day and assess whether those decisions have been based on reliance on God or on others.If you discover that you are leaning too much on people while neglecting God in certain areas, consider sharing this with a mentor or a trusted friend for mutual encouragement and growth. If you have not yet found the right person to support your spiritual growth, pray for guidance in seeking a spiritual partner who can help you pursue a life goal that glorifies God together. If you are a member of a CBMC team, perhaps you can find that person there.

CBMC Central Michigan 4407 W. St. Joe Hwy. Lansing 48917 / 517 481 5996  lansing.cbmc.com