treasure in heaven

[learningaboutCI]

In Churchianity, it is well-known that one should place one's treasure in heaven, rather than be content with snozzling around in the grub of this world. But, there are well-established ideas in Churchianity for how one goes about that. They include:

• Any kind of self-sacrifice, self-denial, fasting, denial of personal pleasure, denial of will, and for the truly dedicated ones a total surrendering of personal will to a spiritual director although that is now rather rare compared to previous centuries--still around though. This is very good because it points us away from getting sucked into the distractions and snares that are laid up for us. If I always want the fanciest coffee, the fanciest music, the fanciest car, then I'm still an Israelite, but I'm at risk for falling headlong into the snare. Our Lord had nowhere to lay His head.
• Prayer for the living and the dead: intercessory prayer
• Time spent in prayer: with prayer books, one could easily invest anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours daily to prayer, which, in their estimation, amounts to treasure in heaven, assuming it is done attentively and not on auto-pilot. Note that they have lots of different kinds of prayer, too, such as prayer by reading liturgy, prayer by reading something spiritually nourishing, prayer of the heart, contemplation, and so on.
• Almsgiving, which in Churchianity often amounts to helping the local parish and giving money to help educate the poor little non-Israelites who still haven't yet managed to heave themselves into our communities, or even the ones that have--scanty almsgiving, that is. Or "shanty" perhaps.

In Revelation 3 being lukewarm is an expression of seeking after the goods of this world, and being content with one's self-gained material support. But this is dangerous, because, who doesn't want to succeed, and be self-sufficient? If I could make twice the money with the same work, why would I not do it? And surely I would rely on my own means. Yet the lukewarm will be spat out.

Since in CI there is a non-systematic emphasis on self-sacrifice (compared to, say, Orthodoxy, which has a very strong emphasis there), and not much emphasis on prayer at least for the dead (perhaps there is some for the living that people do, I cannot say), that leaves almsgiving. This could include, I guess, making free-will gifts to fellow Israelites who are in need, or no-interest loans to tide them over, or even helping Bill with the costs here, and things of this nature.

My question is, what are your preferred means of putting treasure in heaven, so as to avoid the blunder of being so self-reliant that one becomes lukewarm?

Edited a few times.

[learningaboutCI]

Perhaps it comes down to: do all things in Christ. So for example, when we become so comfortable, there is a risk that we will do all things for ourselves, for our pleasure, for our many and ever more complex needs. We don't want to be willfully non-self-sufficient, (even the monks of old, and today, were and are expected to work to earn their keep), but, when we make two, three, four times the money that we actually need, and start saving it up, there is a risk we'll forget about the Kingdom, and just start pleasing ourselves. As entertainments become noisier, people are more distracted than ever. We could even say it this way: if Christ wouldn't want to bother doing it, then we're not doing it for Christ, and we have become lukewarm. And if we can help a fellow, we should. But it takes faith, to be willing to risk our comfort. That dividing line between what we need, and what is excess, is hard to be sure of. But the heart is a useful barometer perhaps, if we are in the habit of praying. And that's another thing: pray always. If we pray always, and do all things in Christ, then we will probably avoid being lukewarm, even if we manage to become wealthy. Because there is always some good purpose to which wealth can be put, even if we haven't found it yet. Just don't let Churchianity spend it. lol Okay but now I answered my own question. Your turn.

[Staropramen]

I seek every opportunity to communicate the Gospel to White people. That includes contributing to this forum, looking for opportunities to talk with people on the street and always looking for opportunities to help White people in any way that I can. I spend as much time as possible learning the bible. Before I discovered CI I sort of thought I knew "enough" and spent alot more time doing things to make money. Bill's work has made me realize that I know nothing and I need to learn more. The better equipped I am to make the case for Christianity on the spot the more valuable I am to our people. All this would seem to be a means of storing up treasure in heaven. But to be honest it is treasure enough just knowing what I know and realizing that despite how truly evil I once was Yahweh has opened my eyes to see the Truth. The kingdom of heaven is among us. I think about verses that state that those of certain behavior patterns won't see the kingdom of God. Conventional churchianity teaches that at some point those people will lose their opportunity for salvation and go into an eternal torture chamber forever. But really it simply means that as long as Yahweh's offspring do those things they will be blind and not see the kingdom. All of Israel will be saved. Some will wake up and see the kingdom in this lifetime. Others won't see it until after death. What treasure could be better than simply seeing the kingdom? The only thing that I can think of is a physical habitation full of awake Israelites where our cities and states are functionally on the same wavelength as the regenerated spiritual condition of His children.

[SwordBrethren]

I believe that prayer for the dead is unnecessary and is possibly unbiblical.

Remember when Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."

[learningaboutCI]

Prayer for the dead is not only a normal feeling from the heart, but Catholics claim that 1 Timothy gives an example of it. They also cite Fathers from very early on, saying that the people would pray for the dead. The Catholic and Orthodox liturgies are absolutely packed with intercessory prayers, so it is hard to believe that it is all a hoax. Maccabees also include some mention of it, but IIRC some claim that the pertinent section(s) are a gloss, and that in any case Maccabees are not 'truly' the Bible--although they are Scripture that would have been familiar to many at the time. I am confident that prayer for the dead is both harmless and good, and, thereby probably constitutes some degree of treasure in heaven. It may be that rejection of it is rooted in the notion that it permits one to sin with abandon, because after all others can pray for us. But in reality people don't think that way. Prayer for the dead just comes from the heart.

Starop makes an excellent point, that taking a risk and sharing the truth with our brethren is also a way of putting treasure in heaven.

[Kentucky]

The Catholic and Orthodox liturgies are absolutely packed with intercessory prayers, so it is hard to believe that it is all a hoax.

Are you kidding? The RCC, the great whore of Babylon, is a fraud and a hoax. The selling of indulgences/intercession was a racket of the priestcraft and the primary cause of the Reformation. There is nothing Christian about the RCC other than the mask it wears to cover the antichrists. If you're here for the purpose of learning about CI, then you need to refrain from proselytizing the foremost universalist church in the world. Save it for that other website you're on that cuddles up with Eli James.

Mark

[learningaboutCI]

With apologies. I know how people hate to hear ideas from other perspectives. It's part of the human condition I guess. But I didn't mean to proselytize. My sense is that the faithful themselves have always had this tendency to want to pray for the dead, and, that the arguments for it don't require a pope and whatnot.

I am indeed learning about Christian Identity as I go along.

[Kentucky]

I know how people hate to hear ideas from other perspectives. It's part of the human condition I guess.

I hope it's not part of an Israelite's condition. The only idea that matters is God's perspective. That's why people are so screwed up; they're looking at things through their own own selfish eyes. Ask yourself: is my perspective pleasing in the eyes of God?

My sense is that the faithful themselves have always had this tendency to want to pray for the dead, and, that the arguments for it don't require a pope and whatnot.

What's the principle for people wanting to pray for the dead? Hoping that their rigor mortis isn't too uncomfortable as they float on a cloud. Catholics are not the faithful; they are spiritually dead praying for the dead. What are you praying for? That they're not really dead and having a good time?

I am indeed learning about Christian Identity as I go along.

But, are you Christian Identity? Your line of questions (moving more towards advocacy) has more to do with denominational doctrines than the racial message of the Gospels.

Mark

[Staropramen]

I know how people hate to hear ideas from other perspectives.

I love to hear ideas from other perspectives especially so-called christian ones. They might enlighten me although more often than not it just reinforces what I already believe by way of hollow ascertaitions with no scriptural grounding. The recent meeting and e-mail exchanges with the "holy man" from my wife's "church" who doesn't debate on god's orders is a good example. The guy was full of religious gusto but as Shakespeare put it he presented "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing". His "bible studies" are the codification of his foolishness. But on the other hand I came to CI by way of hearing out other perspectives.

[Fenwick]

I think, from a logical perspective, if the dead are merely asleep, conscious of nothing, and all Israel is saved, then praying for the dead would serve no purpose. You can do nothing more for them.

You can pray that the living might come into the understanding of CI, or that a person dealing with hardship might come through ok, but once a person is dead, there is no more to be done but await the resurrection.