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.

“and from Jesus Christ – the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us free from our sins at the cost of his own blood and has appointed us as a kingdom, as priests serving his God and Father – to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/rev.1.5-6.NET

Who are we, what are we to do, and how are we to do it as Christians? These questions are answered in this text. First of all, we are loved and free from the penalty of our sins. God loves us, so He came to us to save us. God loves us, so He punished Himself for us in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus’ life. Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross paid for all the sins of those who love God and keep His commands.

The cross removed the hostility of God toward us, revealed the love of God for us, and brought the peace of God to us by making us children of God. Now we are His people, appointed as His holy messengers to declare His work in Jesus among the nations calling all people everywhere to repentance, faith, and obedience to Jesus the Lord and Judge of all. This is what we are to do. The Great Commission is our mission.

Our vocation is to pay for our occupation: seeing God’s kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are to bring men to God in prayer, and we are to bring God to men through sharing the gospel. We are to live obedient lives, faithful witnesses, as our God in Christ did, Whose life of love and service was a powerful magnet of God for bringing the sinner to salvation. This is our means. Loving and serving people as Jesus did and does through us so that as we lift him up, He draws all people to Himself.

Our privilege and pleasure are to know God and to do His will to be rewarded by Him for such work when we live forever with Him and all those who have ever loved Him by serving Him also.

Our Opportunities 

1. This week is your best opportunity to share the gospel with businessmen in the marketplace on June 15. Our speaker is Mr. Bill Garlick, CIO of LCC. We will be meeting at a NEW LOCATION. Learn more and register today here 

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 12, 2023 

Building To Avoid An Implosion

By Robert J. Tamasy 

From time to time, we see videos of a large building being imploded. Explosives planted at strategic points are detonated in precise sequence and suddenly, “Boom!” Within seconds a structure that may have taken years to construct is destroyed, transformed into little more than rubble. 

Many of us still vividly remember the images of the Twin Towers at New York City’s World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorist-controlled jet airliners crashed into them. The shock of seeing fire blazing and smoke billowing intensified when the once-proud, shining skyscrapers collapsed into heaps. 

Sights like these are spectacular and mesmerizing, not only for how quickly and powerfully a massive building can be brought to the ground, but also as reminders of how something that was seemingly built to endure can quickly become a scene of utter devastation. 

We all have heard about similar “implosions” in the lives and careers of prominent business and professional leaders, politicians, celebrities, athletes, and other well-known individuals. Perhaps you could cite the names of several without more than a moment’s thought. Similarly, there have been highly respected businesses and organizations, ones whose products and services we enjoyed, that were destroyed under the weight of various scandals, unethical practices, and illegal activities. 

These calamities bring to mind the lament of David, the imminent king of ancient Israel, upon learning of the deaths of King Saul and his son, Jonathan. “How the mighty have fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19).

In some instances, destruction could never have been predicted. However, in most cases the explosions that level a building – or one’s reputation and legacy – have been in the works for a long time. Trails of deceit, moral and ethical failures might have been concealed for a while, but they will come to light. The Bible gives ample warning of this, along with safeguards we can use. Here are several examples: 

Never consider yourself ‘failure-proof.’ Many have been the leaders and people of influence who boldly considered them impervious to the temptations and snares of questionable or improper behavior and practices. “That could never happen to me,” they declare, until one day – it does. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). 

Keep in mind the consequences of your actions. “No one will ever know” or, “What harm will be done?” Those are famous last words of countless individuals and companies that chose the paths of compromise, deception, and dishonesty, not considering the repercussions their decisions one day will have in the lives of many men, women, and children. “The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7). 

Plan to avoid an implosion. Jesus Christ taught about the dangers of poor planning and lack of proper preparation. The same applies in failing to consider the potential impact of wrongful deeds and behavior. “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?… The one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed, and its destruction was complete” (Luke 6:46-49). 

© 2023. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com. 

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

MONDAY MANNA

A service to the business community

A Publication of CBMC International

June 12, 2023

Reflection/Discussion Questions 

1. Have you ever seen a video of an old building being imploded? What was your reaction? If you can remember, how did you respond when you saw the famed World Trade Center towers collapsing after the terrorist attacks?
2. Does anyone come to mind, some prominent individual, whose fame and prestige came to a sudden and disgraceful end because of wrongful actions and behavior? What lessons can we learn from their failures?
3. What do you think of the person who considers himself or herself immune from temptations that have destroyed the lives of others – their peers or colleagues? Is there anything about which you think to yourself, “That could never happen to me.” What are the dangers of such thinking?
4. How can you make certain that rather than building your life and career on a faulty foundation, like a house built upon the sand as Jesus described, that you build upon a firm, unshakable foundation that will not “implode”? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 10:9, 11:3, 12:19, 13:6, 16:11, 29:4; Luke 12:16-21; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 

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