Christianity and the Passover meal

What a beautiful celebration so intertwined with symbolism pointing back at the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are privileged in the Los Angeles area if you can attend a Passover meal that has been put on by some Messianic Jews. Why the Messianic Jews you may be asking? The Messianic Jews believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and He has come to earth, walked as man, was crucified dead, buried and rose from the grave.


What is so amazing about this meal is all the symbolism that points back to the life of Christ. The Passover plate consists of the following elements:

• Marov: Bitter herbs (generally horseradish) to remember how bitter slavery was in Egypt

• Beitzah: A hardboiled egg to represent life and the hope of the rebuilding of the temple

• Karpas: Greens that represent spring and new life, which are dipped into salt water that represents the tears shed during slavery

• Zeroa: A shank bone that represents the sacrifice

• Haroseth: A fruit and nut mixture to remember the mortars used by the slaves in building Pharaoh’s temple/pyramids

• Matsah: Unleavened bread, because they needed something that would not sour during the journey in the wilderness. This is also known as the bread of affliction, the stripes symbolize the beating Jesus took for our sins from a cat of nine tails. The bread is broken during the meal (representing the crucifixion of Jesus) and a piece hidden (representing the burial of Jesus) for a child to discover (representing the resurrection).

• Arbakosot: The four cups of wine which symbolize the four verbs of redemption (Exodus 6:6-7)

This is an amazing meal to experience I know we are doing one this Tuesday at Generations Church in Sun City, California.

The other part of the celebration is the original Passover had to do with the plague from God on Pharaoh and his land for refusing to soften his heart to God’s demand to free his people. The plague was to take the life of the first born male except for the houses where the blood of a lamb was painted over the doorways, which today represents the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for you and me.

Enjoy the celebrations of this Holy week as we reflect on our Lord and Savior.

Meg Whitman and the entrepreneur

What an exciting year we are sitting on the cusp of a new Governor of California, and there is sure a buzz in the air about a certain woman candidate. California for the first time will have the opportunity to vote for a woman Governor, Meg Whitman CEO of eBay.


So for us here in Los Angeles what does this all mean? I know many are cringing at a woman for Governor, and yet our current Governor at a women’s conference in 2008 said we need more women in leadership roles. I look at Meg Whitman and see an amazing woman that built a drove one of the largest most profitable companies here in California. She maintained eBay in it’s location in California, she did not uproot it and run to another location when things got tough here, she stayed and fought with you and I. I see a woman with a business sense about her that surpasses any politician, a woman that is not afraid to make decisions. I see a woman that will not be afraid to stand up and say enough to those with agendas based on greed and destruction or those willing to give in to lobbyists lining their pockets.

I see this change as amazing for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Why? If Meg can run California like a business, which government is a business, we could see a huge turn around in our economy. I see Meg as someone that supports the entrepreneurial spirit at all levels. She is very much tuned into the needs and demands of our state, and is willing to go head to head with the “Politicians” to stand for what is right.

Now is the time as an entrepreneur to begin planning for the growth and positive change California will experience if she is to take office. It is time to begin putting a game plan together for expansion and growth in your business. Then plug into what Meg is doing, be a part of the conversations, speak up for your needs as an entrepreneur and be ready to take action. We are at a time in our society where we must begin that Plan B for our future, no more sitting on the side line with 100 excuses as to why you can’t move forward and begin taking action.

Let’s put it this way if Meg runs the government like she did eBay and we see the growth and life return to California will you be on the boat celebrating your success or on the side lines saying I wish I would have taken action. 2010 is the year of action for the entrepreneur, are you ready to engage?

Creating a business experience

The one thing I hear all the time here in Los Angeles is the various experiences people have had at restaurants, hotels and amusement parks. My friend Chris Bogan (chrisbogan.com) made a comment the other day about our clients having an experience with our businesses. Typically we all talk about customer service when it comes to business and perhaps creating an experience can be more powerful than plain ordinary customer service.


What if we began hearing our clients/customers talk about the experience they had doing business with us, perhaps this could be your golden key as a start up business to attract the attention. So how can you create an experience for your client? What does it mean to experience a business?


If a client was to experience your business they will walk away with the feeling of importance, they felt taken care of, they were not just a number. Imagine if you would walking into a day spa, the music is playing, candles lit, lighting just right and then a pleasant smile from your massage therapists. That is an experience. Now imagine walking into the same day spa with bright lights, the smell of moldy towels, hard rock music playing and the therapist says “have a seat I’ll get to you when I can”. These are both experiences, so which one would you prefer?

Now how can you create an experience for your clients? If your business is on-line the website should be attractive, professional and easy to navigate. Don’t make it all about getting their information or treating them like they have a dollar sign on their forehead. I suggest you apply E.I.I. to what you do; Educate, Inform and Invite. Give them a reason to keep doing business with you, what sets you apart.

If your business is a brick and mortar then be sure when they walk into your front door they are greeted pleasantly and sincerely. Create a pleasant experience with music, lighting, aromas and a clean shop that is well organized.

To close the experience be sure to thank your client by sending a personal note. I suggest a handwritten one you mail out, it sure is nice to get something other than a bill in the mail and the handwritten note today is a rarity, so time for you to shine and be remembered. One thing I know here in Los Angeles the fast pace often leads to lack of follow through, no experience and no connection with people. Be different, stand out from the crowd and create an experience they soon will not forget.

Hollywood and Christianity

All I can say is wow! To the headlines today in the entertainment sector, not to my surprise Lindsay Lohan is trying to represent herself as a Christ-like person or image of Christ on the cross. What is Hollywood coming to where they find it okay to mock or blaspheme God?

Why is society today willing to accept this as the norm and not speak out? Are we becoming so desensitized by what we see that when something totally tasteless as her portrayal we say nothing and many run out to see or buy the item of controversy?

We sat here the other day talking about how Christianity seems to be the easy target to mock. We don’t see people mocking other religions or faiths, when was the last time someone mocked a Mormon or a Muslim? Why is this, is it because most Christians keep quiet just as Jesus did as he was mocked by the Pharisee’s?

Why is it when in a conversation a Christian mentions the name of Jesus they are laughed at and shut down? If they use the word God it is acceptable because everyone worships some kind of god. And yet a “movie star” can seductively portray Jesus in a crucifixion pose just before the Holy celebrations related to Easter (the resurrection of Christ) and it is a hot topic of conversation, something is wrong here. I guess Lindsey could deny the representation, as she does most of her antics, however the crown of thorns on her head, sorry Lindsey you knew exactly what you were trying to portray.

As Christians we need to stand up and say enough, God tells us in the Bible if we are luke warm he will vomit you out of his mouth, time to get off the fence and speak up for things that are not glorifying to God instead of tolerating them and accepting them as the norm. You know one day Christ will return for His people and He will ask each of us either Why not or say Well done, what will you hear on judgment day.

God’s unconditional love

I was watching the news for the Los Angeles area the other day and was really struck by the stories and their negative spin. I know there are positive things happening in Los Angeles however all we see are the horrible things people are doing to each other from killing family members to destroying marriages. I had to shut off the news and turn on some positive worships music.


As I sat and thought about the difference in the lives of those individuals and the lives of those that are placing God in the drivers seat, one thing popped into my mind, God’s love is unconditional while man’s love generally has strings attached and if you cut or unravel a string all hell breaks loose.

The word unconditional means the love is there no matter what you do, what you say or what you think. God offers Agape love to His children. In Exodus 34:6 God says; "I am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness.”

What if God’s Agape love was embraced and shared by the world? What if we started caring about others more than ourselves? Would it change the violence, anger, hate and destruction this world has put into play by denying the existence and power of God in this country, in this state, in this city? Would the children have a better chance today?

Our country was founded on the foundation of God, life was simpler and hate was less abundant. You know they say if we forget our history we are bound to repeat it, we are repeating life like those in Sodom and Gomorrah. If you look at the book of Genesis Chapter 14 you can see the direction society went. We see so much of the same activity today in our modern day society. If we were to put God back into the center of everything perhaps the news and life around us would not be so negative.

Many people deny that God exists, many think they are a good person so they can go to heaven and yet others believe there are many paths to heaven we all just call them something different. If this is true why does God say in John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

So bottom line I guess is making the choice what we believe and if we believe the Bible to be truth then perhaps we need to look into our hearts and ask the question: Do I show unconditional, Agape love to those around me? Do I reflect Jesus in my life, my words and my attitude? Pray today for the Lord to work in your heart, we all know it starts in our own hearts then radiates out to others.

Giving it to God verses giving it to the universe

Recently when scheduling a guest for my radio show I had a comment regarding God. I told the guest that I was excited to see that she brings the book of Titus to her business; it is the inspiration for her. Her response to me was I never know what to say to folks in Los Angeles with all the liberal Christians and new age thinkers, they usually do not focus on what God’s word says, as it is with no modifications.


This brought to mind an interesting question what is the difference between giving it to God and giving it to the universe? As there are many “Christians” claiming they give it to the universe not to God. After doing some research and asking some experts what they mean by giving it to the universe I have found that there is a huge difference between God and the universe.

The universe is considered a supreme being whatever you may call it, according to several experts. Sometimes you may call it God, Buddha, mother earth, etc.; it is just a name because all these paths lead to heaven. We also found local churches in the Los Angeles areas that on their website the pastor was asked do you teach from the bible and the response back was “It is used only as a reference However, the version that is used is a metaphysical, Gnostic-inspired edition translated and interpreted from the original Aramaic, rather than the Greek translation used in traditional Christian churches such as the King James version, or the Saint Gregory version used by the Catholic church. Services and classes we refer to the world’s scriptures and sacred texts, as well as the writings of ancient and contemporary mystics, teachers, sages, philosophers, pundits, scientists, and even the enlightened person next door!”

So to address the issue of many paths all leading to heaven; this writer has to say false!
According to God’s Word, the Bible:

• John 14:6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

• John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life--to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Now to give it to God, by giving it to God we are surrendering our worries, cares and troubles to the creator of the heavens and the earth.

• Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.”)

By giving it to the one who created each of us and loves each one of us unconditionally we get to receive comfort and rest.

• Matthew 11:28 says Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

We have been given a free will by God to choose for ourselves what we will believe, we need to seek the truth and determine what we will live by. Giving it to God means you are giving your “it” to a living God not an inanimate object or someone dead that we have been told is the answer to all our burdens and desires. We have come to a time in this world where we need to stand up in boldness without fear for the truth the Bible brings forth.

• Mark 13:22 “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones.”

Creating a successful RoadMap for 2010!

Launching into a new year is always exciting as we plan our resolutions and move forward with excitement. However, only 8% of those that make resolutions actually keep them, ouch! So how can you as a start-up business owner/entrepreneur plan for 2010 and stick to it or keep focused? It is really simple create your own RoadMap to success!


A RoadMap directs and guides you as you begin a journey, and it can be modified as the journey launches. Just like on a vacation you may map out one direction then stumble upon something amazing and make a detour. The same is for your business, you map out the direction you desire to head then modify it as new ideas or opportunities come in your path. Be sure however, the opportunities and ideas are in you plan of vision. Too many times we branch out all over the place because it sounded good in the moment.

Part of the RoadMap creation is to identify your niche or target market, which is your ideal client base. In 2010 the second step to this part is to micro-niche your target. Micro-niching is taking it one level deeper, for example, your target market/niche is coaching, and in 2010 you would get deeper and perhaps market to new entrepreneurs or medical professionals. Coaching is a great one to use for an example to go deeper with, how many Life Coaches are out there now? They are a dime a dozen, so how do you set your practice apart from the other Life Coaches? Micro-Niche! Select a specific group you want to specialize in and market to them. The biggest fear in doing this is you will loose business, not true you will actually increase your business because you are seeking out a specific type of client.

Another key to a successful RoadMap is to do it in your own handwriting; yes that means pen/pencil and paper. The reason for this is to take ownership in what you have written, to many times when we put it all on the computer it becomes very cold and impersonal. I find that many will even deny some of their goals because it is not in their handwriting so you can’t prove it (yes this really happens). Take ownership in your dreams and take control of your RoadMap and you will be amazed at what can happen to your business!