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.

Judges 13.25 observes, The LORD’s spirit began to control him in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

We all want the red pill, to know and have the power of the spiritual world in order to better engage this world; from the movie the Matrix.

We who know the frustration and defeat of trying to always please God but falling short, so long for the Holy Spirit to strongly come upon us so that we always do what God desires. The Scriptures record at least three men who were overtaken by the Spirit of God: Sampson in this verse, David who was a friend of God and Solomon who had wisdom greater than all men who have ever lived.

In none of these cases was the presence of God sufficient to overcome their own choice to disobey God leading to their ultimate collapse. I expect, by the mercy and grace of God, to see again Sampson and David in the eternal kingdom of God, but I am not sure about Solomon. All of these men died less glorious than when they began their adventure with God in strength and vigor.

This is the reality. I must choose to love God and obey His commands. The presence of His Spirit will never so overwhelm me that my character and choices can go on autopilot – no matter how much I pray for this or long for it to be so. I am a player in this great war against the flesh and the devil.

God has committed Himself to never abandon me when I am following Him. He will provide the strength I need to obey and have faith, but I must choose to overcome my fear and apathy. Likewise, I must choose to put on the armor of God, I must choose to obey: I am morally responsible and accountable to obey God.

My prayer can and should be, please Lord, fill me with Your Spirit and please give me a heart to obey You. Then I must go forward, doing what I know He has commanded, trusting Him for His presence when the hour of trial arrives. But this prayer, while asking for the cup to pass, must conclude with not my will be done but Your will be done.

Then do it.

His Opportunities

1. Tuesday, August 21 at the City Rescue Mission from noon until 1pm is your next CBMC Rescue Luncheon. This is your opportunity to serve lunch to the men and women who depend upon the Mission for their meal. Can’t attend but wish to cover the cost for the lunch? If interested in either, commit Here
   
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

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

August 13, 2018

When Others Do Not Meet Our Expectations

by Ken Korkow

Do you ever get disappointed with someone? Frustrated? Or angry?

Some time ago I was trying to help a man in midst of great personal struggles. His once-successful business was a mess. His checks were bouncing and he had many creditors coming after him. His marriage was ending. And topping it off, he had just failed an alcohol and chemical abuse rehabilitation program, and was now in the hospital because of his “binge” drinking.

We had been meeting for months, but increasingly it seemed like the time had been a poor investment on my part. I was mad at him – and mad at myself – because my “best efforts” were not resulting in any visible or positive impact. Why would this guy not listen to the wisdom I had to offer to him?

I was trying to teach him, convinced that if he would stop resisting, my counsel could help in turning his life around. Then, in the midst of my “teaching,” he taught me. He provided an important, very valuable life lesson when he said:

“If your happiness is dependent upon your ability to get someone to meet your level of expectations, then you are destined to a life of unhappiness.”

Wow! Even with all of his problems, this friend had briefly become the teacher and I the student. This insight is one I have never forgotten, and it has made a profound difference in how I approach others as I seek to counsel, mentor and point them to a better life – ultimately, one guided by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

What about you? Can you relate to this situation I experienced? What is the source of your happiness and/or unhappiness? Is it dependent on other people, especially to meet your level of expectations for them? As my troubled yet wise friend observed, people will always fail us in meeting the expectations we create for them.

But if you have fallen into this trap, don’t feel badly. You have lots of company, including important biblical personalities. In the 15thchapter of the book of Acts, we read the apostle Paul and his mentor, Barnabas, had a falling out over Barnabas’s nephew, Mark, also called John. Because Mark had abandoned them on an earlier missionary expedition, Paul had decided he was not a faithful man and should not rejoin them on future travels. Mark had clearly not met Paul’s expectations.

Barnabas, however, saw potential in his young relative. Going counter to popular opinion – as he had with Saul (Paul) after his conversion many years earlier – Barnabas determined to stay with Mark and encourage him in his spiritual journey. Years later, Paul makes no mention of Barnabas but writes to his protégé, Timothy, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). Not only that, but this Mark is credited with being the author of the gospel of Mark.

This teaches us two things: First, even when people do fail to meet our expectations for them, this does not mean God is finished working with them. Perhaps we have done all we can do in their lives, and the Lord will bring others alongside to help them move farther along in their personal journey. And second, our expectations should not be in people, but in God alone. As Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “…Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

Ken Korkow lives in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A., where he serves as an area director for CBMC. This is adapted from his “Fax of Life” column. Used with permission.

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

 MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

August 13, 2018

 Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. How did you answer the question – have you ever been disappointed with someone, frustrated or angry because they did not meet your expectations? Describe a situation like that and how you reacted to them.

1. Can you remember a time when you failed to meet someone else’s expectations? What was your response – did that make you feel badly, or did you fault them for expecting too much of you?

1. Do you agree with the statement that if our happiness is dependent upon our ability to get someone to meet our level of expectations, then we are destined to a life of unhappiness? Why or why not?

1. What are your thoughts about the final statement, that instead of expecting others to be the source of your happiness, “the joy of the Lord is your strength”?

 NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Psalm 100:1-5; Philippians 1:3-11, 4:4,8-9; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

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