Monday, March 29, 2010

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.

Monday, March 1, 2010

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?