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.

Isaiah 45.19 records God stating, I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek Me if I could not be found. I, the LORD, speak only what is true and declare only what is right. God knows He alone is God and that He lives regardless of the opinion of humanity. In our pride and in His humility, we are allowed to live, talk and think as though God were not real but we are sadly mistaken.

All of Creation points to His existence with science itself, the god of the intellectual, recognizing ‘something’ had to start our existence. Our conscience further indicates that a moral Being exists having placed an inherent understanding of right and wrong in the hearts of all people everywhere from all time.

Finally, God Himself has walked on earth as one of us. If we would but explore the life and teaching of Jesus we would be left with no other conclusion than that He is indeed God. Since there is only one God, the Muslims get this right but everything else in their religion points away from the one true God; He makes bold and audacious promises because He knows He can deliver upon them.

What are those promises? Peace in a world of chaos. God doesn’t promise to end the chaos, at least not before all humanity in all the world recognizes Him as Lord of lords and King of kings, instead He promises His presence to His people to endure the wicked decisions of men who fail to recognize Him. This peace is how the saints of all ages have endured the persecution of men.

He promises resurrection from the dead. As He Himself rose from the dead because He is God, as God, He is able to raise from the dead everyone who puts their faith in Him while living in this life where we are certain to die. Death is not the end but the beginning of life forever without pain, suffering or want because heaven and the new earth, where God does rule in Person, is incapable of being anything but abundant, good and loving.

The promises of God are many and wonderful. Not for making His people the smartest, strongest or wealthiest in this world but for equipping them to love, serve and give to a world confused, lost and broken but in desperate need of restoration to God and His good promises for them.

His Opportunities

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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
June 27, 2016

Owner or Consultant? Who is Your Provider?

by Jim Lange

Some time ago I was thinking about one of my past assignments while serving as a leadership consultant. During this time, I was working with a local company for a couple of days per week, providing leadership and counsel for turning the company around and resolving some serious internal challenges. My role was to develop a game plan to assist the company wherever I felt they needed help, and then provide guidance for implementing that plan.

I worked for nearly two years with this particular client. The owner had built an impressive company, but by that time had ceased being actively involved in the operation of the business. Despite her lack of hands-on involvement, she still desired to maintain overall control. So when she would call me with ideas or directives, even if they were contrary to my plans, I would simply adjust my schedule and move tasks to future days, and then not think of it again. I chose not to become stressed about it at all, because my client was paying me and I understood that if she wanted me doing something different, I should do as she requested. I was at her service.

During a time of reflection years later, the idea hit me: Why was I unable to maintain that same mentality with my current schedule? Why could I not have a “consultant’s mentality” in everything that I was doing? Even though I owned my businesses – according to legal documents – in truth, I knew God was (and is) the true owner and that I was working for Him. In a sense, my role throughout my career has been to serve Him as His “consultant.”

Because I have a tendency to do things on my own and feel as if everything is up to me, I needed to do something to remind me of the One who is actually responsible for any success I might achieve. This might sound silly or strange, but for each of my businesses I proceeded to create a certificate of title that stated, “This certifies that the owner of (company name) is God.  This further certifies that Jim Lange will be taking the role of Consultant unto God.” I then signed and dated it, and since then have kept all of these certificates sitting on top of my bookshelves in my office as a reminder.

Why is it important for me – or any follower of Jesus Christ – to acknowledge and act upon His ownership of our enterprises? There are many reasons, but here are two, cited from the Bible:

God is our Provider. We tend to think it was our intelligence, savvy, skill and sweat that resulted in our success. However, as Psalm 127:2 points out, “It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.” This verse is a great reminder that the outcome is not all up to me. Even if I fail to get everything done that I intended, God can provide for me even when I sleep.

God is the ultimate Source, giving skills, talents and resources we need. “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

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