Gwen Shamblin Lara 10: Hanging onto the Wine

[SuperNova]

6 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

...it is so much easier to let God guide all our decisions...

Letting god guide her decisions is code for Gwen hearing voices in her head and interpreting them as devine guidance. She then uses this "guidance" as a smoke screen to lie to others and line her pockets. Take away the god part and Gwen is just a crazy self serving bitch that steals money from others to fund her extravagant lifestyle. But its all good because god.

This is god's plan for gwen because he told her. He also told her the plan for everyone else and the plan is to let god control us. Isn't it funny that Gwen's earthly interests and god's spiritual ones are so closely aligned? He must really love her.

Its stating the obvious but sometimes my b.s. meter for RF boils over. 

[ManyGoats]

24 minutes ago, NarcissismKills said:

They do sell homeschool "teaching" materials through WeighDown at specific times of the year. But it's not sound academic material. 

Sorry, I wasn't clear about what I meant. I wasn't referring to homeschool teaching materials, I meant they proselytize through WeighDown. You get to a certain point in the WeighDown lessons and she starts bashing other churches and talking about Remnant.

[Marmion]

On 12/10/2019 at 5:35 AM, AmazonGrace said:

Why is God not given credit in all the science books and research and news programs? Instead, everyone loves to chalk it all up to “Mother Nature.” Oh, don’t even get me started! My whole soul flares up within me when I get on this subject. Let us all pray, as the prophet Habakkuk did centuries ago, for this arrogant generation. When we all learn that God IS highly involved, from storms and disasters to the best of blessings?

God is God, and I love it! I don’t want it any other way, and I wouldn’t want the world in the hands of anyone else. God has all authority and power, and I respect and uphold every decision He makes, from simple ones to difficult ones. Strive to begin each day standing in awe of God’s deeds, and give HIM credit where all credit and praise and honor is due

In response to Gwen Shamblin Lara , these men would like to have a word .  https://theapopkavoice.com/god-hurricane-harvey/  ,  

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/2005/09/katrina-not-gods-wrath-or-his-will.aspx 

[Blue]

10 hours ago, ManyGoats said:

I was thinking they do it through Weigh Down.

That's very true, I apologize. I don't consider WD really sharing the Gospel, but they 100% do, so it makes sense that someone from RF would think they had a MASSIVE outreach ministry.

7 hours ago, NarcissismKills said:

If you can't homeschool the kids yourself, sometimes your authority Shepherd will arrange for you to bring in your kids to another family on a daily basis for "homeschooling". Doesn't seem legal to me. 

Definitely shady. I'm super curious about how they run it... which curriculum they use, what kind of structure...

[RFIntrigued]

12 hours ago, Blue said:

I know they DO, I'm just curious what the attitude about it is with current membership. If you were someone who couldn't homeschool or who just didn't want to, I wonder if they would look down on you for not keeping your children surrounded by "the truth." It seems like Remnant Academy or whatever has grown a lot in the past few years. 

That makes sense, especially because that seems to be pretty much the ONLY proselytizing that they do, aside from the prison ministry. 

There are prominent families high up in RF that use the public schools so I’m saying I don’t think they look down on you for using the public schools. I have heard rumors about how the homeschooling tutorial works, but I’m not actually sure how people decide to do it or not. I will say that while the RF members are kind (They smile or say hello when they pass by), they do not associate with those of us that are not RF at school. I have never had them introduce themselves or volunteer for anything at school. They stick together like white on rice, but they have their kids in the school. 

[Blue]

54 minutes ago, RFIntrigued said:

There are prominent families high up in RF that use the public schools so I’m saying I don’t think they look down on you for using the public schools. I have heard rumors about how the homeschooling tutorial works, but I’m not actually sure how people decide to do it or not. I will say that while the RF members are kind (They smile or say hello when they pass by), they do not associate with those of us that are not RF at school. I have never had them introduce themselves or volunteer for anything at school. They stick together like white on rice, but they have their kids in the school. 

Thank you!!

[ManyGoats]

2 hours ago, Blue said:

I'm super curious about how they run it... which curriculum they use, what kind of structure...

I am, too. Their doctrine is so specific to Gwen, it's hard to imagine them approving of anything anyone else has written. I can't imagine them using secular curriculum either.

[Blue]

3 minutes ago, ManyGoats said:

I am, too. Their doctrine is so specific to Gwen, it's hard to imagine them approving of anything anyone else has written. I can't imagine them using secular curriculum either.

That was my thinking. They can't use any other religious curriculum because it won't go alongside their prosperity gospel, works based salvation, theology... but I'd be surprised to see them using secular curriculum. I wonder if they're just using her books and kind of making up their own?

[RFSurvivor_2]

19 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

I would agree with you that for most kids they would want this. We were taught that every conversation was an opportunity to proselytize and “bring someone to the Truth”. 

Precisely. I would like to add that during our time as youth in RF, it was within Gwen’s and the cult’s best interest to publicly (private was a different matter) encourage RF parents to put their kids through public school. Recruiting was almost as important RF’s overall imagery. Placing RF youth in public schools was one of the many attempts at showing the world that RF youth were “normal “ (which we were anything but). This of course backfired in many cases.

When @RFsurvivorand I were in high school, we often hung out with our RF friends and vice versa. We were known in school for being the largest, “clickiest” group. We were seen by non RF members as snobby, stuck up and weird. Normal was not a word to describe us. As I recall, a lot of the RF kids back then had little to virtually no much of an interest in spending their time with other kids outside RF.

Gwen and the youth leaders often talked out of both sides on this subject matter. On one side, Gwen preached (according to her interpretation of the Bible at that time) that the only individuals whom you should spend the majority of you time with were the ones that point you up to their god (in her way). On the other, she and many youth leaders pushed many youth outreach initiatives and talked a lot about opening up the group to more people.

This often sent mixed signals that didn’t resonate well with the youth since the majority of them were programmed (for many years, most from childhood) to stick with each other. While outreach efforts were often praised we were constantly reminded that worldly kids = bad, RF kids = good, It’s us vs them, etc. It doesn’t take a genius to acknowledge that this mindset is toxic to a child and a hinderance towards their mental and emotional development as an adult.

I am pretty confident this mindset hasn’t changed. It didn’t seem like it when I left a few years ago.

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by RFSurvivor_2

[AmazonGrace]

If Gwod wants you to starve you better starve and not complain.
 

Spoiler

 

Do Not Put God to the Test

December 12, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. Psalm 78:18

Do not test the generous boundaries that God has given. The volume of food you are allowed to eat is generous. Willingly cut back where needed. Do not crave anything but a relationship with God through Christ. Otherwise, you are putting God to the test; in other words, it is stipulating that God is to have mercy on you while you willingly rebel against what He wants. This is insisting on getting God to die to His will so that you can have yours! This is dictating to God that He let you have your appetite and then giving God an ultimatum that He not exercise his wrath. It is expecting forgiveness.

Forgiving someone for wrongs is emotional and draining and time consuming. How much forgiveness have you demanded from God? Stop…get this right today. stop demanding from God and demand obedience for yourself. You can obey today if you want to. You had better stop asking God to die to His will and die to yours.

 

 

[Howl]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

If Gwod wants you to starve you better starve and not complain.

Frankly, this is just horrifying.  Talk about giving specific directions on how to set up endless, relentless spirals of guilt, shame and self hate, a recipe, as it were, for Eating Disorder 101.  Also, for people who already struggling with an eating disorder, would RF seem like it institutionalized a disordered way of thinking about food?  I really do worry about how the insanity in the cult affects people in an adverse way. 

Does Gwod think of herself as a true prophet, anointed by God? 

[AmazonGrace]

5 minutes ago, Howl said:

Does Gwod think of herself as a true prophet, anointed by God? 

Remnant is full of true profits.

[SuperNova]

4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Otherwise, you are putting God to the test;

Wouldn't it be the other way around? 

4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

This is dictating to God that He let you have your appetite and then giving God an ultimatum that He not exercise his wrath. It is expecting forgiveness.

If we take Gwen's previous word salads into account, it's not MY appetite. Its an asshole move on god's part to give someone a big appetite, punish them for eating, and then not allow said person forgiveness.  

Take away the god part and it sounds like an abusive partner.

4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Forgiving someone for wrongs is emotional and draining and time consuming. How much forgiveness have you demanded from God?

Gwen is projecting human constraints onto an omniscient, omnipotent being. A god wouldn't feel emotional or drained. It wouldn't matter if you asked for forgiveness every minute of every day because a god is immortal, time has no bearing on them.

Gwen also uses "demanded" perjoratively, assuming a lack of sincerity when her congregants ask for forgiveness. Wouldn't it be up to god to decide who is sincere?  

Edited December 12, 2019 by SuperNova

[FilleMondaine]

So....any fun Christmas/Holiday decorations? I can only imagine how over-the-top their decor must be.

[Insightful]

1 hour ago, SuperNova said:

Forgiving someone for wrongs is emotional and draining and time consuming. How much forgiveness have you demanded from God?

I'm so confused (not really -  I know Gwen's nuts and likes to keep her peeps confused)...so RFers aren't supposed to ask God for forgiveness because He doesn't have time for that BUT they are supposed to ask him for help with their wardrobes and any other small decision they ever need made????  Ummmm, Jesus didn't die for fashion sense, HE DIED SO THAT I COULD BE FORGIVEN!!! 

[Fashion Forward]

17 hours ago, ManyGoats said:

I am, too. Their doctrine is so specific to Gwen, it's hard to imagine them approving of anything anyone else has written. I can't imagine them using secular curriculum either.

When I was still around, the homeschooled kids used Abeka Academy and modified the religion class to reflect Gwen's teachings. 

Also in response to the public school vs homeschool... I actually got to experience this first-hand because I grew up in the church so let me explain.

Parents are encouraged to homeschool their elementary school kids if it's an option available to them. If it's not an option (due to work schedules, for example) then parents won't be chastised for sending their kids to public school. Remnant Academy actually started with the Weigh Down staff members kids' getting together in the back of the building to do their homework together.

For high school kids, the decision is made more on a case by case basis, but generally a Leadership member & the parents look at the child's intentions for school (will they/won't they have to go to college) and also look at their "gifts" (their talents) to see if some of the public school programs would benefit them. The kids who are lucky enough to attend public school are highly encouraged to take advantage of the dual enrollment courses so their time in college can be lessened a.k.a. less "worldly influence". You'll find many child members graduating high school & college early because they are encouraged to speed up the process. 

 

edited to add: they also look at how vulnerable or easily influenced the child is to "worldly" influence in both elementary and high school. If a child is a follower (vs leader) or very gullible... and a lot of them are based on how they are raised... then they are more encouraged to home school.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Fashion Forward
edited to add more

[throwaway9988]

6 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

If Gwod wants you to starve you better starve and not complain.

Reminds me of @Hane’s lyrics to “I am the Chip of Life.” I sing it to myself in the shower on occasion ?

[Marmion]

6 hours ago, Howl said:

Frankly, this is just horrifyikwbIkzDVVFQ bout giving specific directions on how to set up endless, relentless spirals of guilt, shame and self hate, a recipe, as it were, for Eating Disorder 101.  Also, for people who already struggling with an eating disorder, would RF seem like it institutionalized a disordered way of thinking about food?  I really do worry about how the insanity in the cult affects people in an adverse way. 

Does Gwod think of herself as a true prophet, anointed by God? 

It's like this in all perfectionist sects , Gwen Shamblin simply adapted it to weight loss .  It's called the " crisis experience "  https://www.proclaimanddefend.org/2019/11/21/three-views-of-sanctification/  As I have mentioned before in this forum , I expect that if most people knew what all such a crisis entails , they would not want to be involved in such a church in the first place . Which is why it seems to me that the distinctive doctrine tends to get downplayed , in respects to prospectful new adherents .  The best account of what it feels like to feel insecure in your relationship with God , and therefore fear that you might wind up forfeiting salvation , and wind up in the eternal damnation of hell , is expressed in this song , of all things .  

People in the congregation get guilted into going down to the "mourner's bench "  (altar) , where if they are successful in attaining the "second blessing " of transcendent spiritual bliss , their self loathing will be transformed into self righteousness , and if they fail to feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon them , they will walk away feeling unsure of themselves , in regards to their good standing before God .  

 

3 hours ago, SuperNova said:

Wouldn't it be the other way around? 

If we take Gwen's previous word salads into account, it's not MY appetite. Its an asshole move on god's part to give someone a big appetite, punish them for eating, and then not allow said person forgiveness.  

Take away the god part and it sounds like an abusive partner.

Gwen is projecting human constraints onto an omniscient, omnipotent being. A god wouldn't feel emotional or drained. It wouldn't matter if you asked for forgiveness every minute of every day because a god is immortal, time has no bearing on them.

Gwen also uses "demanded" perjoratively, assuming a lack of sincerity when her congregants ask for forgiveness. Wouldn't it be up to god to decide who is sincere?  

This falls under this example  , regarding the International Churches of Christ , which incidentally Gwen Shamblin had been influenced by .  

Quote

Numerous ex-members complained of legalism, heavy-handedness of treatment, lack of grace, lack of forgiveness (e.g., past sins brought up and used against them), manipulation, forced uniformity and conformity to church agenda, browbeating on all matters, even opinion. 

https://freedomofmind.com/international-churches-of-christ-icoc/   Also , I feel that this song applies to not only Remnant Fellowship , but any legalistic church , such as in particular those whom hold to Christian perfectionism .   

 

[NarcissismKills]

The Remnant Fellowship cult may like to manipulate members by bringing up past failings, but at the same time they not infrequently just gloss over some members violent offenses. 

[Hane]

2 hours ago, throwaway9988 said:

Reminds me of @Hane’s lyrics to “I am the Chip of Life.” I sing it to myself in the shower on occasion ?

I totally forgot I wrote that! Now I have an earworm.

[ManyGoats]

1 hour ago, NarcissismKills said:

The Remnant Fellowship cult may like to manipulate members by bringing up past failings, but at the same time they not infrequently just gloss over some members violent offenses. 

Right! For some reason that makes me think also about how Gwen piles on the guilt, then insists that "God is FUN."

I found this on the RF website. Interesting, no?

The results of putting God first and learning to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength are profound because people for the first time in their lives are getting away from mind-controlling people, mind-controlling religious leaders, mind-controlling food and lifestyle rules and learning how to make their own decisions. 

There are times that the Spirit of God can come thru authority lines, but even in those situations, one must learn to discern if it is from God or not. 

[RFIntrigued]

6 hours ago, FilleMondaine said:

So....any fun Christmas/Holiday decorations? I can only imagine how over-the-top their decor must be.

Her house has white lights galore all over the house, grounds, entrance to the home, etc... 

[Blue]

18 hours ago, RFSurvivor_2 said:

Gwen and the youth leaders often talked out of both sides on this subject matter. On one side, Gwen preached (according to her interpretation of the Bible at that time) that the only individuals whom you should spend the majority of you time with were the ones that point you up to their god (in her way). On the other, she and many youth leaders pushed many youth outreach initiatives and talked a lot about opening up the group to more people.

I feel like this happens a lot. A few years ago a friend of ours called us all excited because Gwen had preached (or mentioned in a class, I don't really know) that it wasn't that you HAD to go to RF to be saved, because there MAY be churches out there preaching the truth too. Our friend was so excited to share that, because one of our BIG red flags was the whole "ONE true church" thing, and the friend thought this kind of "mainstreamed" or "normalized" her theology.

Then... years later when said friend was getting married... we weren't allowed to have any role because we weren't in RF and weren't part of her group that was "pointing her to the truth." So it's like we're not necessarily destined for hell... and she didn't need to shun us... but we couldn't play a large role in her life either. It's like telling the kids "Tell kids at school about God, but don't actually get to know them because they're probably a bad influence."

[AmazonGrace]

Gwen has only one regret in life: that she didn't stop thinking earlier. 

Spoiler

 

Loving God’s Beautiful Authority

December 13, 2019

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Have you surrendered every bite of food to the lead of the Heavenly Father? Why not? The answer could be anti-authority. We need an understanding and the practice of following the lifestyle of Jesus Christ, who stayed under authority during suffering. Your Savior, Jesus Christ, did not choose His rule, but He chose God’s rule in and up to His final hour.

This practice will be groundbreaking! As you have let go of control, you have begun to rejuvenate this fundamental relationship with God. God is our life. That statement means more to me with each passing day. I love God more and more and depend on His directions more with each passing day. I have only one regret in life and that is that I wish that I could have had a deeper relationship with God at an earlier age. I wish that someone had told me how not to depend on myself anymore so I could have started this dependent relationship even sooner!

 

 

[formergothardite]

5 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

who stayed under authority during suffering.

In other words, you better obey Gwen no matter how much you fucking suffer.