Gwen Shamblin Lara 10: Hanging onto the Wine

[RFsurvivor]

25 minutes ago, Blue said:

I've been trying to type a comment, but this is just so outrageous that I can't. I don't even know how to put into words how disgusted I am.

I'm so glad my family didn't get sucked in 10 years ago when her teachings were wrong, but a LOT more sane. People who are in now seem like they haven't been able to see the spiral down that she's taken. I mean... call my crazy, but I'm REALLY thankful my grandma takes her heart meds and doesn't just try to pray her heart issues away... God is the ultimate Creator... He gave the wisdom to scientists to create these medicines... taking them isn't a sign that you have a poor relationship with God...

The bold part is what happened with my family and it wasn't until we were leaving that we were able to see how the beliefs had changed and gotten crazier over time. It's the different between the heat turning up over time and seeing the fire from the outside.

[SilverBeach]

3 hours ago, ManyGoats said:

5 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Health is from a relationship with the Creator.

This is one of my very unfavorite ideas.

Mine too. Like God is some sort of divine genie. Shit happens to everybody including believers. Life is random. 

[Reallyhatefakes]

I don’t even know where to start. Jesus has lots of money?  Gwod has lots of money, raking it in from people who gave up everything, friends, family, jobs ,homes to move to Brentwood and be love bombed till you move there and then taken advantage of by working for the church on one committee or other attending meetings love bombing others to what purpose? To be Gwods revenue stream. How sad for the families that watch their loved ones suffer through this abuse and pray everyday for their redemption from this crazy women. Waiting and trusting God will free them from this crazy cult. 

[Blue]

1 hour ago, SilverBeach said:

Mine too. Like God is some sort of divine genie. Shit happens to everybody including believers. Life is random. 

I know, I'm about to sound like a horrible person... but how on Earth can you say crap like she's saying when your congregation has a wonderful little girl battling cancer? What? Did she and/or her family not be "devoted" enough or have a close enough relationship with God? 

NO... these things happen to people from all walks of life, including believers. Will God use their testimony? I have no doubt... but to act like if you just follow God Gwen then you'll have health and wealth and live a perfect life? Couldn't possibly be further from the common sense AND Biblical truth!

2 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

The bold part is what happened with my family and it wasn't until we were leaving that we were able to see how the beliefs had changed and gotten crazier over time. It's the different between the heat turning up over time and seeing the fire from the outside.

I can't tell you how much we pray that our friends and loved ones will someday be able to see it. 

[Marmion]

9 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

More on the trinity views:. You should look at Jesus' feet because  Christ did really good in his relationship with God and God rewarded him with a lot of power and eternal life.

Jesus has a lot of money. Be like Jesus.

 

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A Beautiful Relationship of Love for God

November 07, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Do you watch the feet of Jesus and concentrate on what He did? He always spoke the truth in love and stayed busy in Kingdom work every day, not caring about what naysayers thought but only what the needs of the people were. Christ lost Himself in God and now has right-hand recognition and position and power. Simply put, He has a lot of money, and He will live forever and ever, ruling with God. Is there a higher reward? Tell me what pays greater dividends. People work out and get exercise and go to the doctor for health check-ups and take a lot of the medicines prescribed to lower blood pressure and prolong life. Nothing lowers your blood pressure more than a relationship with God where you can pray about every worry. Health is from a relationship with the Creator. Ultimately, it was the transfer of a relationship with the food over to a relationship with God that stopped your greed, which resulted in weight loss. Ultimately, it was a relationship with God that gave you more confidence that someone really loved you so that you could love your spouse back. This security resulted in not trying to prove that you were right or to argue, so now your relationships are rewardingly strong. You have no fear of your love leaving your side. God gets the credit! I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Your relationship with God is what you need to concentrate on. Stay near; hold His Word near and dear to your heart; follow His lead. Stay close at hand for whatever is needed to be done. Listen to His voice and obey. Have only eyes and ears and passion for God. Find out what is blocking this relationship and demolish it while you have a chance.

 

 

 

 

It would seem , based upon this , that she is an adoptionist  .  

 

17 hours ago, Blue said:

The trinity was always something we were willing to look aside on because we think there are a lot of different ways of viewing it... but her statement (at least a few years ago when we were looking into it all) came really close to polytheism. She separated God and Jesus via her line of authority, but then said Jesus was God. It was all very hard to follow and she contradicted herself numerous times (in typical Gwen fashion), but she was definitely taking it down a weird path.

She's also confused on the history of the trinity. At one point she said the Crusades were literally just a big fight against people who rejected the trinity...

As I alluded to above , if Gwen is an adoptionist , then she would believe that Jesus as elevated to godhood , at some later point in life , rather than being the divine incarnation from the beginning .  Yeah , like most everything that she teaches , it's not original to her .  People , however arguably heretical , have held such beliefs for centuries .  Lastly , she's not entirely wrong about the crusades either . In addition to Muslims , whom as you should already know deny that Jesus ( Isa ) is on par with God (Allah) , yet still hold that he's both prophet ( rasul)  , and messiah ( masih) , it also involved the killing of Jews and Cathars .   However , in addition , even Eastern Orthodox Christians were adversely affected , and while they have a somewhat different understanding of the exact nature of the Trinity  https://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2010/06/eastern-orthodoxy-on-the-trinity.html   , they still basically agree with the doctrine  .   https://www.differentspirit.org/resources/crusades.php  

[Blue]

25 minutes ago, Marmion said:

It would seem , based upon this , that she is an adoptionist  .  

 

As I alluded to above , if Gwen is an adoptionist , then she would believe that Jesus as elevated to godhood , at some later point in life , rather than being the divine incarnation from the beginning .  Yeah , like most everything that she teaches , it's not original to her .  People , however arguably heretical , have held such beliefs for centuries .  Lastly , she's not entirely wrong about the crusades either . In addition to Muslims , whom as you should already know deny that Jesus ( Isa ) is on par with God (Allah) , yet still hold that he's both prophet ( rasul)  , and messiah ( masih) , it also involved the killing of Jews and Cathars .   However , in addition , even Eastern Orthodox Christians were adversely affected , and while they have a somewhat different understanding of the exact nature of the Trinity  https://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2010/06/eastern-orthodoxy-on-the-trinity.html   , they still basically agree with the doctrine  .   https://www.differentspirit.org/resources/crusades.php  

I don't mean this how it will sound, but I think you're giving her too much credit for thinking critically about her views on the trinity. Maybe that IS what she believes, but if it is, she is completely incapable of articulating that to either her congregation or on her statement of faith. There are certainly people with that view, and have been for centuries... she's by no means unique... but I don't think she's spent enough time really researching her views to have a cohesive understanding. I think that the trinity concept was hard for her to understand, so she reworked it into a way that made more sense to her. She's not the first... entire religions have been started by people who decided to toss out the trinity, write a book, and start a church... but I think attaching a well thought out viewpoint on the trinity to her is giving her too much credit.

And yes, of course Christians were killed in the Crusades... but she literally taught that the trinity was the CORE reason for the Crusades, and that non-trinitarians were the PRIMARY target in the killings... that the others were simply collateral damage.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Blue

[AmazonGrace]

Gwod doesn't want you to control your children. If your kids are young it would make you a shitty useless parent. But at least you're skinny.

Spoiler

 

Making the Commitment

November 08, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

To commit to God, you have to let go of control of your eating, spending, lusting, talking, bad habits, jealousy, laziness, etc. People do not realize that they are controlling. Did you wait for hunger—true hunger—every time you ate these past few weeks? When you have been stuck for years and years in any stronghold, your defining characteristic is that you are a controller. Even if you are a sweet one, you are a controller. You have found little ways to look like you are allowing God to lead you, but in reality, you are controlling God and spouse and co-workers and children, etc. Dieting is the opposite of letting go of control. Dieting is a means of controlling your life and bypassing the will of God. That is profound. There is something inside of a person that wants to control. They want to control the people around them, the environment around them, but the whole concept behind Weigh Down in a nutshell is to let go of control and let God lead us. That is the only path to freedom.

 

-

 

[formergothardite]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

There is something inside of a person that wants to control. They want to control the people around them, the environment around them,

Gwen, you might want to read this part a bit more.You just described yourself. Gwen literally plans church members' weddings for them! Woman is a controller.

[Blue]

I get it... I truly do. I understand that trying to micromanage every aspect of your life isn't healthy, and trusting that God is in control gives freedom. I truly understand that.

But like everything else, she takes it so far. Do I try to control my children? Umm... yup. I control what time they get up in the morning (you know, so they get to school on time), I control what they do after school (you know, so they do their homework), I control what media content they have access to (you know, so they aren't traumatized by "Saw" or led astray by a cult leader like Gwen), I control what they can do on their phones (you know, so they aren't bullied into sending nude pictures)... and on and on and on. No, I don't follow them to school and wipe their butts, but as their parent it's my JOB to control a fairly large portion of their lives. That doesn't make me a controlling person... it makes me a parent.

You know what I don't control? Their portion size. I will NEVER forget hearing a testimony on one of their "You Can Overcome" shows about a mom who was proud of her little girl (we're talking, like, 4 years old) for only eating half her meal. That's how you give elementary aged kids eating disorders and an unhealthy body complex.

You know what else I don't control? Their emotions! Yes, we talk about putting things into perspective (loosing your favorite Jo-Jo bow is NOT a reason to have a total meltdown)... but you know what? They do NOT have to be happy all the time. They are allowed to be sad, mad, frustrated, disappointed, and a whole other range of emotions that are totally normal for humans. I can't stand hearing her talk about how "All of our children are perfectly obedient and happy!" Uhh, because you've told them God hates them if they're anything BUT happy...

[quiversR4hunting]

Waiting for the growl or waiting for "true hunger" is still trying to control food intake. Just like dieting. The way Gwen Shamblin Lara goes about it is so dangerous to anyone's health and well being. 

If someone joins weight watchers, that diet is based on real life and allows for celebrations and life to happen. Also controlling ones diet (food) is good for all of us. I  double stuff Oreos. I could eat an entire small package of them in one day. Should I? oh hell no! So self-control is good. Real life food control is what a lot of people do either consciously or subconsciously. Some people need to consciously keep track of food for numerous reasons (diabetic, kidney failure, high cholesterol, binge eater, mindless eating, etc) and there is nothing wrong with it! 

Remnant Fellowship followers - think, please! What is wrong with just watching what you eat with normal meals? It isn't sinful to eat three meals a day and have a snack between meals. 

Edited November 8, 2019 by quiversR4hunting

[Blue]

3 minutes ago, quiversR4hunting said:

Waiting for the growl or waiting for "true hunger" is still trying to control food intake. Just like dieting. The way Gwen Shamblin Lara goes about it is so dangerous to anyone health and well being. 

If someone joins weight watchers, that diet is based on real life and allows for celebrations and life to happen. Also controlling ones diet (food) is good for all of us. I  double stuff Oreos. I could eat an entire small package of them in one day. Should I? oh hell no! So self-control is good. Real life food control is what a lot of people do either consciously or subconsciously. Some people need to consciously keep track of food for numerous reasons (diabetic, kidney failure, high cholesterol, binge eater, mindless eating, etc) and there is nothing wrong with it! 

Remnant Fellowship followers - think, please! What is wrong with just watching what you eat with normal meals? It isn't sinful to eat three meals a day and have a snack between meals. 

I agree 100%! I LOVE a lot of things that are not great for my body. In moderation they're fine, but if I followed the weigh down "Eat whatever you want, just only eat tiny bits" by body would never get the nutrients it needs. It's not being a controlling person... it's taking responsibility for giving your body the things that it needs to thrive. 

[throwaway9988]

The hair alone is a psychological horror!

Sorry for the grandparent-style screenshot

[ManyGoats]

7 hours ago, Blue said:

 I can't stand hearing her talk about how "All of our children are perfectly obedient and happy!" 

The recent and numerous devotionals about games and sports give the lie to that assertion. We're on to you, Gwen.

[AmazonGrace]

Today we learn two things:

1. if you love God you won't be able to plan any of your days and can't tell where to go tomorrow (mind you, if your employer is expecting you to show up at your job hope God agrees so you don't  get sacked)

and

2. this woman is a tad insane.
 

Spoiler

 

God is the Answer

November 09, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Weigh Down is about being committed to God ruling and you letting go of control. If you really mean it, then you do not know where you are going to be today and tomorrow and the next day. You don’t know where you’re going to be eating, who you are going to be eating with, what you’re going to be eating or if you are going to be eating. You have let go of something that has become a god to you. How do I know that food has become a god to you? It is because it has been so difficult to lay it down. What has the food become to you? It has become entertainment, comfort, and the aid to prevent boredom. It has become everything to you. What is the purpose of Weigh Down? It is mere Christianity. You are transferring over the food god to THE GOD so that God is becoming your entertainment. God is your comfort. God is the fun and the joy. When you are tired, you run to God. He is the Source of All!

 

 

[WeirdHarold]

9 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

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God is the Answer

November 09, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Weigh Down is about being committed to God ruling and you letting go of control. If you really mean it, then you do not know where you are going to be today and tomorrow and the next day. You don’t know where you’re going to be eating, who you are going to be eating with, what you’re going to be eating or if you are going to be eating. You have let go of something that has become a god to you. How do I know that food has become a god to you? It is because it has been so difficult to lay it down. What has the food become to you? It has become entertainment, comfort, and the aid to prevent boredom. It has become everything to you. What is the purpose of Weigh Down? It is mere Christianity. You are transferring over the food god to THE GOD so that God is becoming your entertainment. God is your comfort. God is the fun and the joy. When you are tired, you run to God. He is the Source of All!

 

 

How does Gwod's mere Christianity compare to CS Lewis' Mere Christianity?  Since outside reading material is discouraged, does she even recognize that she's making reference to a book?

And with no mention of Jesus in this delusional, there's no anti-Trinitarian awkwardness.

[Marmion]

15 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Today we learn two things:

1. if you love God you won't be able to plan any of your days and can't tell where to go tomorrow (mind you, if your employer is expecting you to show up at your job hope God agrees so you don't  get sacked)

and

2. this woman is a tad insane.
 

  Hide contents

 

God is the Answer

November 09, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Weigh Down is about being committed to God ruling and you letting go of control. If you really mean it, then you do not know where you are going to be today and tomorrow and the next day. You don’t know where you’re going to be eating, who you are going to be eating with, what you’re going to be eating or if you are going to be eating. You have let go of something that has become a god to you. How do I know that food has become a god to you? It is because it has been so difficult to lay it down. What has the food become to you? It has become entertainment, comfort, and the aid to prevent boredom. It has become everything to you. What is the purpose of Weigh Down? It is mere Christianity. You are transferring over the food god to THE GOD so that God is becoming your entertainment. God is your comfort. God is the fun and the joy. When you are tired, you run to God. He is the Source of All!

 

 

I noticed that she's since seemed to have given up on trying to tie her devotionals to God's word the Bible , rather than merely her own words , but here is what I suppose she was trying to hit upon .  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+4+%3A+13-17&version=NIV   

[AmazonGrace]

If you managed to not overeat using anything but Gwen's cult you were tricked by Satan. 

Spoiler

 

Now is the Time to Let Go of Control

November 10, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Part of the problem of being a controller is that you try to lay down sin with your own methods. What if we have “played god” on freedom from sin and come up with our one counterfeit way to lay down sin? We lay down sin with sin? We lay down sin with sinful solutions? No wonder we struggle with the last pounds, the last drinking, the last lusts, the last pride or greed! We have tried to overcome sin with our power, using sin, vs. using God’s power and His Spirit. How clever of satan.

To those who have relied on their own strength, now is the time. This is your year to be done with overeating, to be done with suffering. You are exhausted and have gotten nowhere.

Whatever you are controlling in your life, you have to let go! There is only one answer—be born again of a new Spirit. Get rid of your old ways, such as using your power, smarts and strength to diet or manipulate things. Kill that spirit and open up to the power of obeying the Holy Spirit of God. It has no greed for self, but it is the happiest person alive. It is the Spirit that moves all life and angels and the entire Heavenly Kingdom. God’s power is better than your power. Let go and let God lead

 

Did you not sin? Yeah perhaps, but you definitely not-sinned the sinful way. 

[CTRLZero]

Quote

To those who have relied on their own strength, now is the time. This is your year to be done with overeating, to be done with suffering.

I thought we were to embrace suffering, but whatever, Gwen.  This latest delusional sounds like an advertising lead-in.  For $19.95, let go and let Gwod lead...

[SuperNova]

 

9 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

No wonder we struggle with the last pounds, the last drinking, the last lusts, the last pride or greed!

This is rich coming from the woman who admitted to overdrinking due to weight and then scrubbed any footage of her with a wine glass. 

[rayneflower]

I've been a long time lurker on the 'Gwen' topic. 

 

While I admit, I did like some of her teachings, and yes I do still like some of them. But the weight stuff and money? No. If it wasn't for her controversial topics it would be different, but there is to many controversies to her preaching on weight and money. 

 

One thing that I do love, I bet she makes Lori Alexander's skin crawl! A successful, hardworking, woman preacher. Everything she hates. 

[formergothardite]

50 minutes ago, rayneflower said:

and yes I do still like some of them

Would you mind sharing what teachings you like? 

 

[AmazonGrace]

What do you like specifically, @rayneflower ?

 

[formergothardite]

I'm trying to think of anything good she has taught. I'm drawing a blank, but I haven't read all of her stuff and she might have had some sensible advice at one point in her life.

[RFsurvivor]

I can’t think of any useful things from her teachings off the top of my head and I had to listen to it for over a decade. I’m curious as well...

Edited November 10, 2019 by RFsurvivor
Grammar is hard

[Marmion]

8 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

I thought we were to embrace suffering, but whatever, Gwen.  This latest delusional sounds like an advertising lead-in.  For $19.95, let go and let Gwod lead...

I think that I would rather be the one to " steer " , by  following my passions , and conscience .