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Where do you want to go for eternity?

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  Where do you want to go for eternity? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-24 13:28 -0700
    Re: Where do you want to go for eternity? "Alexei A. Frounze" <alexfrunews@gmail.com> - 2016-05-25 01:57 -0700
      Re: Where do you want to go for eternity? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-25 05:37 -0700
        Re: Where do you want to go for eternity? Rod Pemberton <NoHaveNotOne@bcczxcfre.cmm> - 2016-05-27 02:38 -0400
          Re: Where do you want to go for eternity? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2016-05-27 03:47 -0700

#9556 — Where do you want to go for eternity?

I saw this video today on the ComputerHistory channel on YouTube.  The man
cited, David Cutler, has been a pioneer in several low-level aspects of
computer development while at Microsoft, and before:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN0H4Lb9Lfs

I posted a comment immediately after watching the video.  However, the more
I thought about it the more I realized there's something larger that needs
to take place here.

I want to begin to educate our technology sector away from that which is
their focus today (money), to instead begin thinking of that which should
be their focus (God, and all of God's people world-wide).

I have expanded my comment here:

-----

    May.24.2016

    It's hard for me to appreciate any success for Microsoft, or for any of
    the people at Microsoft.  They have money-driven goals and make choices
    based on money-ends, rather than right-ends -- which are (to be clear)
    people-ends.

    As a result of Windows 3.1 sales, for example, OS/2 (an all ways a
    superior operating system) was abandoned by Microsoft after years of
    development so they could pursue Windows NT (because they could make
    more money selling Windows than pursuing the better product).

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DAojx2Hgec&t=38m50s

    Money drove Microsoft's decision, and later drove them to also move in
    anti-competitive ways for which they were found guilty in courts of law
    around the world, ultimately ordered to pay record fines.  And even upon
    receiving the multiple legal findings, they still professed innocence
    and did not believe they were doing anything wrong, or had done anything
    wrong.

    No apologies.  No voluntary changes.

    -----
    People will say Microsoft's behavior was "just business," and they're
    right.  It was just business.  But business goals are focused predomin-
    ately around money factors, and these goals ultimately harm real and
    creative people world-wide.  Business goals seek to lock in solutions
    which isolate and segregate us into the channels required by their
    goals, so that we do not have free room to move, but are able to move
    within a confined arena only.  While we might receive products which
    allow us to move, it's akin to being in a type of prison where we can
    harvest trees, build homes, raise animals and families to our heart's
    content, but we're still in the prison.  If we want to move to another
    place it's not possible because we're locked in.

    This inevitably results in us receiving wholly inferior products because
    there is no equal footing given to competition, such that even in 2016
    we still don't have the capabilities OS/2 had back in the 1990s in
    released products, nor do we have many of the alternative products that
    we could've had were Microsoft's anti-competitive practices not in play,
    such that money was not the driving goal (office suites, business
    software, browsers, and other models, for example).

    Microsoft has harmed people with their releases.  And while the people
    who have contributed to Microsoft's "success" are no doubt talented
    people, their goals and loyalties have been to Microsoft and its money
    ends, rather than "in serving people" ends, and that needs to change.

    And Microsoft is not alone in this.  Business in this world today is
    geared toward maximizing profit.  You rarely hear, for example, of a
    company willing to sacrifice half of its net increase in sales to hire
    more people, or give them better health care, or increase their family
    time, etc.  You typically hear it going the other way because money is
    the goal, not people.

    And to be clear:  having money-based goals makes all of the effort
    involved just flatly wrong because those goals ultimately harm people.
    People's needs and "rightness needs" are always sacrificed in cases
    where an additional dollar can be gained by sacrificing them, and
    that needs to change.

    -----
    Each of us is part of a purpose here on this planet.  We are part of a
    system that was created by God with right ends (honoring Him, and loving
    one another in the world He gave us).  That purpose has been usurped by
    sin, and that sin at work in men.  It has given us this world we live in
    where people everywhere are rising up and hating and fighting other
    people.  People who, had they been born in a different place, could've
    grown up in your community, been raised with your children, gone to
    school and social functions with your family, so that you would've been
    neighbors, rather than enemies.

    Everything that's wrong with this world stems from the same single
    source:  sin, and all that accompanies it.

    Sin is the problem.
    Jesus Christ is the cure ... because He literally takes sin away.

    -----
    The truth is we were created to honor God with our lives.  We were made
    in His very image and likeness, and He made us different than all of the
    rest of creation.  Even apart from the angels, for not one of them will
    be forgiven for their sin against God, but all of us have the opportunity
    to be forgiven if we will accept Jesus Christ, allowing Him to become
    the Lord of our life, the One who guides us and leads us.  He will take
    away our sin and restore us to that which mankind had before the fall:
    eternal life, a spirit that's alive, and real hope and a future.

    -----
    The goals of this world's business models, philosophy models, and
    economic models at large, all need to change.  And that change needs
    to be center-focused around each of us developing a close, personal
    relationship with Jesus Christ, and then walking under His guidance.

    Jesus advocates loving one another.  It's actually a new command He
    gave us (John 13:34). 

    Jesus advocates peace, and says that peacemakers will be called the
    children of God.

    Jesus advocates sharing your excess with the one who does not have.

    Jesus advocates seeking after righteousness as food and water.

    You can read about all of these yourself:

         http://biblehub.com/kjv/matthew/5.htm
         http://biblehub.com/kjv/matthew/6.htm
         http://biblehub.com/kjv/matthew/7.htm

    And you can see the love of God manifest in the gospel of John (put
    yourself in the position of John, recognizing that as He loved John,
    so He also loves you):

         http://biblehub.com/kjv/john/1.htm
         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hexhw3wWmE

    -----
    This world teaches us incorrectly about who Jesus Christ is, what He
    expects from us, and how we must come to Him.  Jesus is looking for
    those who are broken, flawed, who know they are sinners and yet don't
    want to be.  He knows you can't do it on your own, and He promises
    those who seek Him that you don't have to do it on your own, but to
    simply come to Him as you are (broken, flawed, in sin), and ask Him
    to forgive you, and to help you, and He will.

    He receives all who come to Him, and will never turn any who come to
    Him away.  No matter your past.  No matter you sin.  No matter those
    worst things you've ever done.  Jesus knows all about it, and He loves
    you anyway and will save you despite those things:

         http://www.libsf.org/misc/love.html

    -----
    Our goals on this planet are to better one another's lives, beginning
    in all things with a trust and reliance upon God.  And whether we are
    willing to admit it to ourselves or not, He has been with us every day
    of our lives here upon this Earth.  We have ignored Him, but He has
    remained.  We have sinned against Him, but He has been there watching
    over us.  We have turned our back on Him and blasphemed everything
    about Him and His due Glory, and yet He continues to love us, just as
    a parent would love their child even if that child had done truly
    heinous things.

    The only solution to this world's ills is for each of us to embrace
    that close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to bring Him
    into our hearts making Him the centerpiece of our lives, so that He
    is then able to operate through us into this world.  We become His
    hands and feet.  We become His voice in this world.  We let those
    around us see the salvation He's given us at work in us, as we look
    up to Him and teach others those things He first taught us.

    -----
    We must each refocus the goals of our industry to move with a purpose
    focused upon that larger realization and goal, that which brings both
    God and improving other people's lives always into the forefront of our
    consideration, knowing that He will bring us to success in achieving
    all of the goals we have, or to replace our goals with right goals to
    which He will then bring us to success within.

    Right service in this world:

        God first*
        People second*

        * And because we put God first, and God Himself puts us ahead
          of nearly all other considerations, then by putting God first
          we automatically also put people first.

    -----
    Our talents and abilities are gifts given to us by God.  As are the
    opportunities we've had, and the positions we're now in.

    It is time to stand up for what's right in this world, to seek that
    close personal relationship with Jesus Christ, with the One who can
    focus your life upon God, and upon people simultaneously, so that we
    are not alone in this world, we are not seeking our own goals in this
    world, but we are consistently looking out for the other guy, and even
    for all the other guys, so that our lives are contributory to each
    other in grand and focused ways as by the sum total of our plans, our
    interests, our wants, wishes, needs even.

    We need to start considering the long-term effects of the things we do,
    remembering God first, and letting Him be the consistent cue which is
    the lead role in our lives here in this world, but also in the world to
    come.

    -----
    Jesus Christ is my King.  And His ways are right and true.  I challenge
    each of you to pick up a Bible for yourself, and read it for yourself,
    and come to see for yourself that which I am talking about.  If you
    have your eyes set on truth and rightness, you will find treasure there
    beyond your wildest dreams.

    I love you.  But Jesus loves you more.  Come to Him and receive His
    free gift of salvation, and learn of Him.  Ask Him to guide you in
    your life so that you'll never go astray again.  He will do this,
    both because of who He is, and because of who you are to Him.

-----

Each of us is part of the community God has place us in.  He has given us
this planet, everything on it, our lives, our selves, and He's given us
the inspiration we've had for ideas, the knowledge we possess has come
from the opportunities He's given us, and so much more.

He occupies the place of God in our lives, whether we acknowledge Him or
not.  And I encourage each of you to look deeply at everything around you
and see His hand at work.

He stands at the door of your soul and He knocks.  He invites you to come
in and sup with Him, and He with you.  He knocks because He desires for
you to be part of His life (eternal life), and to be someone who is His
here in this grand universe He's created.  He has plans for you that would
bring you to tears because of their beauty were you to know the full extent
of them.

Don't let the enemy bind you up with the distractions from this world.
Step up and see for yourself who God is.  You'll find He's nothing like
this world has taught, and everything that true-seeking, right-seeking
part of you has ever longed for ... and more.

Jesus Christ.  His name literally means, "God who saves [from judgment]."

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

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#9559

On Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 1:28:47 PM UTC-7, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:
...
> I want to begin to educate our technology sector away from that which is
> their focus today (money), to instead begin thinking of that which should
> be their focus (God, and all of God's people world-wide).

It's strange that you give God the first place here and much
further below...

> I have expanded my comment here:
> 
> -----
> 
>     May.24.2016
> 
>     It's hard for me to appreciate any success for Microsoft, or for any of
>     the people at Microsoft.  They have money-driven goals and make choices
>     based on money-ends, rather than right-ends -- which are (to be clear)
>     people-ends.

... while the true focal point is, as you say it here, people.
People comprise citizens and their governments, regular employees
and their bosses, rich and poor. It's a people problem, created
and solved by and for people. If you want people to live better
lives (free of hunger, violence, cold, heat, etc), focus on
people. Use laws and taxes to make better use of money, to benefit
people, not just corporations and their heads (mind you, there
are many more Microsofts that are in business for the money and
not quite for the benefit of the society). Educate people so
they can get jobs unavailable to unskilled workers. Figure out
and implement solutions to job elimination (elimination by
job export to other countries, elimination by machines/progress).
Figure out what to do when all of the basic needs (housing,
food, clothing) are fulfilled by machines and jobs or money
aren't needed (except for maintenance of said machines).

Want to do something? Work with your party to effect the needed
changes. Perhaps, you may need to even create a new party for
that. Get involved. Lobby the laws benefiting citizens. Show
people how they can help each other and make help happen.
Promote that. Not God, but being a good and caring citizen.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

Alex

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#9561

On Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 4:57:08 AM UTC-4, Alexei A. Frounze wrote:
> On Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 1:28:47 PM UTC-7, Rick C. Hodgin wrote:
> ...
> > I want to begin to educate our technology sector away from that which is
> > their focus today (money), to instead begin thinking of that which should
> > be their focus (God, and all of God's people world-wide).
> 
> It's strange that you give God the first place here and much
> further below...
> 
> > I have expanded my comment here:
> > 
> > -----
> > 
> >     May.24.2016
> > 
> >     It's hard for me to appreciate any success for Microsoft, or for any of
> >     the people at Microsoft.  They have money-driven goals and make choices
> >     based on money-ends, rather than right-ends -- which are (to be clear)
> >     people-ends.
> 
> ... while the true focal point is, as you say it here, people.
> People comprise citizens and their governments, regular employees
> and their bosses, rich and poor. It's a people problem, created
> and solved by and for people. If you want people to live better
> lives (free of hunger, violence, cold, heat, etc), focus on
> people. Use laws and taxes to make better use of money, to benefit
> people, not just corporations and their heads (mind you, there
> are many more Microsofts that are in business for the money and
> not quite for the benefit of the society). Educate people so
> they can get jobs unavailable to unskilled workers. Figure out
> and implement solutions to job elimination (elimination by
> job export to other countries, elimination by machines/progress).
> Figure out what to do when all of the basic needs (housing,
> food, clothing) are fulfilled by machines and jobs or money
> aren't needed (except for maintenance of said machines).
> 
> Want to do something? Work with your party to effect the needed
> changes. Perhaps, you may need to even create a new party for
> that. Get involved. Lobby the laws benefiting citizens. Show
> people how they can help each other and make help happen.
> Promote that. Not God, but being a good and caring citizen.
> Lather, rinse, repeat.
> 
> Alex

It is a teaching of Satan, and a lie, that we do not need to have God
ahead of us in the things we do in this world.  Satan teaches us that
we can do it on our own.  We can't.  When we try, it opens the door for
Satan to be the one leading us (and not God), which results in the
world we see before us:  hate, fighting, war, death, destruction, disease.

Satan is a liar, Alex.  He has no intents or purposes which are beneficial
to you.  He wants your soul destroyed in Hell because he hates you, he
hates God, and you were made in God's image and likeness.

Satan has already been defeated, but for a time he remains here upon this
Earth causing havoc.  It is up to Christians to teach the people of this
world these things, so that they might know the truth and that truth would
make them free.

-----
To be clear:  In all areas of our lives we must not only bring God in, but
place Him first.  He only leads people rightly.  He only seeks to prosper
us, those around us, and His Kingdom here upon this Earth.  He comes to
grow and make alive, whereas Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  All
you need to do is look around at the ongoing and increasing destruction in
this world.  Physical structures being destroyed, but also values, homes,
families, lives.

Satan's working at all levels to destroy us, which is why this teaching is
so essential.

But don't take my word for any of it.  Pick up a Bible and read for
yourself.  You'll discover these things I teach, and so much more than I
am able to convey in this limited text form.  But God will fill you to
the extent you can be filled.  You will receive from Him as much as you
can handle, and the well will still yield far beyond that.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

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#9570

On Wed, 25 May 2016 05:37:49 -0700 (PDT)
"Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> wrote:


Rick,

I'm glad to see a post from you after being banned from clax for a
while, but I'm not religious.  I have read large parts of it.  I can
easily refute most of what you said about the Bible using quotes from
the it or it's concepts.  So, I tend to be good at discrediting what
others say about it.


Rod Pemberton

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#9577

Rod Pemberton wrote:
> I'm glad to see a post from you after being banned from clax
> for a while, but I'm not religious. I have read large parts of it.
> I can easily refute most of what you said about the Bible
> using quotes from the it or it's concepts. So, I tend to be good
> at discrediting what others say about it.

What you say here is, ironically, how I became a Christian.  Evangelical
cubicle neighbors were trying to get me to become a believer.  I was
an atheist who'd left the church at age 15 because I saw the hypocrisy.

I was convinced a person didn't need "religion" or supernatural mumbo
jumbo to be a good person, and that religion was just a crutch for
the weak-minded.

My cubicle neighbors were asking me questions about the Bible, and
I would destroy their points one by one (or so I thought).  This kept
up for about nine months to a year in 2003-2004.  But they
finally began asking me questions I didn't have answers to from
what I remembered from Sunday School and Youth Group.  I
didn't want to be speaking without certainty in my answers, but
because I was convinced it was all an invented lie by man, one that
under proper, logical, point-by-point examination could be easily and
readily refuted, I agreed to start reading the Bible.  I was going
to go through it verse by verse and refute it as I went.  I honestly set
out to understand what it says truly and truthfully, so I could
destroy it point-by-point.

In so doing, I set my sights on the truth.  I sought to not have an
incorrect understanding of the Bible, one based on my memory and
prior thinking only, but one which would prove to myself and them
the silliness or wrongness of the Bible based on a methodical teardown.

But it didn't work.  Because I set my sights on honesty and truly
knowing truly what the Bible said, I found it.  I wasn't content to
guess about what I thought I knew, but I wanted to be certain about
it so I wasn't left with that question in the back of my mind, "What
if I'm wrong?  And eternity is real?"

It was there, at the point of me seeking the truth with an honest
and sincere effort that I met Jesus Christ.  I was born again and my
life has been changed from within.  The Rick that was died that
day, and the new Rick came to be.

I still have the same body.  Can still sing like I used to, throw a baseball
like I used to, but the inner man has completely changed, even though
the outer man still fights it ongoingly.

The Bible is real, Rod.  Jesus Christ is real.  Eternity is real.  And
Hell is real.

There is a real enemy of God who blinds the eyes and minds of
men from knowing the truth.  He does this because the spiritual
death through sin is real too, and because he is a spirit, he is able to
fool and trick our flesh in ways we cannot perceive.  We think we
just feel or believe a certain way, when, if it's sinful, it's typically the
leading or prompting of our feelings, thoughts, emotions by that enemy,
or one of his demon imps.

And because we are blind to that reality, we are disadvantaged, and
run over completely, completely being deceived by that enemy,
through sin.

But when we set our sights on the truth, then our intention and
desire is known to God, and He makes it happen by changing us
supernaturally from within, so we can discern truth from falseness,
and in that way know the truth.

It requires the change from within by God before one can know
the truth.  Until that happens, a person only knows what they know,
and they can be convinced they are right, when in fact they are still
wrong, as happened to me, and as happens to all people before the
change occurs.

Not everyone will be saved, but only those who seek the truth and
are born again.  It's why it's so important to hear the gospel message.
For those who will be saved, they will hear and know on their inside,
from the supernatural change God makes, that the gospel message is
true.  They will be driven from within to repent, ask forgiveness for what
they then acknowledge for themselves as sin in their life, and be saved.

Those content to "keep on keepin' on" with the status quo, which is
life lived under the deception of the enemy, will not seek the truth,
and they will perish in their sin.

God is greater though, and He knows our true heart's intent.  He
sees straight through to the real inner drives and desires, without
regard to any outer façade.  And He knows who are truly His, and He
enables every one of them to be saved by making that change on the
inside so we can know the truth, and that truth will lead us to Jesus
Christ, and salvation.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

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