Gwen Shamblin Lara 12: Gwen says something I can't understand.

[Blue]

1 minute ago, Marmion said:

Until you chimed in , I wasn't going to say anything further about this , especially as Christianity is not really my religion any longer , but by conventional standards of the Orthodox / Catholic Church , and all mainstream Protestantism , it is very easy to mistate the exact nature of the Triune Godhead , and thereby confess some sort of heresy . For an illustration of what it is I mean .  

So while I am not sure that Gwen Shamblin understands the Trinity , according to standard Christian doctrine , I am not sure that everyone commenting in this thread really understands Gwen's position , and how it compares to the typical Christian understanding of what is sound interpretation , either .  

I truly have no doubt about that. Until my husband and I really started talking about it, we didn't realize how little is ACTUALLY taught about the trinity in most churches. It's almost just like an assumed understanding (or maybe just an assumed conclusion). Nevermind the fact that Gwen's position is very muddled depending on what source you're looking at. When we've discussed this with people in RF, we've often sat back and watched RF people debate amongst themselves what Gwen actually teaches, and they've been going there for years, and half of what they're saying she teaches in church directly contradicts the official positions she's posted online. 

As we've done more research into the trinity and what the Bible says about it (though, to make sure to acknowledge one of Gwen's fav arguments, the word itself isn't in there), it's really helped to define our own faith and what we believe... but it's also really opened our eyes to how little we understood about the "official" position of most churches and how little we really understood about what we had been taught our whole lives. 

[Xan]

19 hours ago, WorseThan1Thinks said:

 

 

This was her outfit she worn the entire evening. 

I have so much to say, but I supposed it speaks for itself?

Well, she could be having trouble maintaining body heat with her weight being so low.  But, I think the more likely guess is that she's having trouble balancing on her cartoony platform shoes so she found these boots.  I bet she thinks they match the coat.  They don't.  And the gloves and whatever-those-things-are?  Wrist-warmers?  That's just flat out nuts.  So are the scrunched white socks.  The woman is 65 years old.  She ought to know better.

[Blue]

There's is nothing more frustrating on the planet for me than listening to Gwennonites use the phrase "that's not what she means." For God's sake, if she's supposedly a prophet and published author, you'd think she'd have the literacy skills and vocabulary to efficiently articulate her point then. My thoughts - she means EXACTLY what she says, and you're just twisting it around to make her (and yourself) sound slightly less like cult members... 

End rant.

[Xan]

I only discovered the Gwen stories about a year ago so maybe there's stuff I've missed.  She just seems like a one-trick pony to me.  She wrote a diet book and it did well.  She continued to pair it with religion and got extra mileage from it.  Now, she just wants to stay on top, be listened to and obeyed, and get lots of money for saying the same stuff over and over again.  "Don't listen to your heart or your head or your stomach.  Just don't eat. God only likes skinny people."

If Gwen can find somewhere in the New Testament where Jesus tells the disciples at the Last Supper not to eat very much and to get doggie bags, I'll listen.  Until then, I just consider her to be another wackadoodle that's pulling a con on the easily exploited.

[Blue]

17 minutes ago, Xan said:

I only discovered the Gwen stories about a year ago so maybe there's stuff I've missed.  She just seems like a one-trick pony to me.  She wrote a diet book and it did well.  She continued to pair it with religion and got extra mileage from it.  Now, she just wants to stay on top, be listened to and obeyed, and get lots of money for saying the same stuff over and over again.  "Don't listen to your heart or your head or your stomach.  Just don't eat. God only likes skinny people."

If Gwen can find somewhere in the New Testament where Jesus tells the disciples at the Last Supper not to eat very much and to get doggie bags, I'll listen.  Until then, I just consider her to be another wackadoodle that's pulling a con on the easily exploited.

That's the part that devastates me. I get angry and fired up and frustrated and then I remember who is most often conned into this... the broken... the hurting... the lost...  the insecure... and once they're in, it's over. Their jobs are tied to RF. Their spouses are tied to RF. Their children don't have a single friend not in RF. They haven't attended a social function in years that isn't related somehow to RF. They've often damaged (if not burned) bridges with friends and relatives who they left behind when they joined RF, so while those people would probably happily welcome them back with open arms, it probably doesn't feel that way. Not to mention that they've stopped fully thinking for themselves, because every major decision is run by the "Shepherds" or leadership for approval.

So the thought of leaving is terrifying... you can't admit that you're in a cult or admit that she's conning you because that means loosing everything. So many of them either work directly for Exodus Industries or they work for RF members or someone in RF was fully instrumental in getting them their job... so what happens if you leave? You loose your job. They seem to try to marry new members to members in established families (though if I'm wrong, former RFers, please correct me, that just seems to be a pattern) so now if you leave, your spouse isn't coming with you. Your kids' lives will be turned upside down because every relationship they've made has been within the group, and that's assuming your spouse DOES decide to leave with you. Big decisions are suddenly suffocating because you have to make them totally on your own (or maybe that's freeing, depending on your personality I guess). 

Sorry, this turned into a tangent, but she definitely seems to mostly prey on a specific group of people... and it's heartbreaking.

[Xan]

1 hour ago, Blue said:

So the thought of leaving is terrifying... you can't admit that you're in a cult or admit that she's conning you because that means loosing everything. So many of them either work directly for Exodus Industries or they work for RF members or someone in RF was fully instrumental in getting them their job... so what happens if you leave? You loose your job. They seem to try to marry new members to members in established families (though if I'm wrong, former RFers, please correct me, that just seems to be a pattern) so now if you leave, your spouse isn't coming with you. Your kids' lives will be turned upside down because every relationship they've made has been within the group, and that's assuming your spouse DOES decide to leave with you. Big decisions are suddenly suffocating because you have to make them totally on your own (or maybe that's freeing, depending on your personality I guess). 

Sadly, this is every cult.  I'm reading a book about the Word of Faith Fellowship in NC and it's the same.  The church members work for each other and live around each other.  Everything is so interwoven that it's hard to break free.  People who have tried to leave find they end up with nothing -- no family support, no friends, no job.  I'm beginning to think the only way to eradicate the cults is to start from the top down.  If you expose and bring down the leaders, the flock will be able to leave.

[Blue]

54 minutes ago, Xan said:

Sadly, this is every cult.  I'm reading a book about the Word of Faith Fellowship in NC and it's the same.  The church members work for each other and live around each other.  Everything is so interwoven that it's hard to break free.  People who have tried to leave find they end up with nothing -- no family support, no friends, no job.  I'm beginning to think the only way to eradicate the cults is to start from the top down.  If you expose and bring down the leaders, the flock will be able to leave.

I agree that this is how all cults are. The comparisons we've found between RF and JW, Mormons, even Christian Science, are insane! 

But I'll be honest, I don't know if your going to eradicate this one from the top down. I hope so... Desperately hope so... But the defence of their Gwod in the face of clear evidence makes me think it would take a huge, massive scandle to maybe break it down. And I mean massive, because a couple even killed their child and that wasn't enough.

[ManyGoats]

On 2/23/2020 at 12:30 AM, HereComesTreble said:

No joke--the above outfit looks like something a meth user put together.   With that outfit, hair, and weight; if I saw her on the street, I would 100% assume she was a addict, deep into that meth life.

Now you've got me wondering....... She does seem to have a lot of energy for someone who eats very little.

[AmazonGrace]

Take a doggybag for God, or the episode in which Gwen thinks restaurants are forever and that restaurant meals are cheaper if you only eat less than half of what you ordered.

Spoiler

 

How to Eat Out at a Restaurant and Still Lose Weight

February 24, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

What if you are invited to eat at a restaurant, but do not want to overeat?

Answer: Pray and get prepared, for eating out can be tempting. In the past, you used to order too much and eat it all. This will be different for the rest of your life. Now you will go and be in control for the glory of God—you will order less and eat less and have a carryout or share your food. The good news is that everything is cheaper for the rest of your life, so you will save cash… and be permanently thin!

Do not eat prior to eating out so that you are truly hungry when you arrive. Pick the restaurant and choose and order the foods your body seems to want, and now you may eat hamburgers and French fries, etc. But beware, Americans are served very large volumes of food; therefore, cut all the food in half or smaller. Sometimes half of a slider will do! Ask the server for a carryout at the beginning of the meal and put half in the carryout as soon as you receive your order so you can get it out of sight. Our experience is that you may feel the full feeling even before you finish the first half. Assure the server that the food was wonderful, or he may worry that you were not pleased and therefore worry about the tip. Take the carryout home. If you can, eat it the next time you feel hungry, or you can give it to a family member. Keep reminding yourself that the restaurant will be there for the rest of your life, the food is not going to disappear, and that your next hunger will come before long.

 

 

[CTRLZero]

Quote

Assure the server that the food was wonderful, or he may worry that you were not pleased and therefore worry about the tip.

This is kind of an odd remark.  I've never correlated taking leftovers home with a server worrying about a tip.  How would Gwen know the server is worrying about a tip?

The little things that puzzle me...

[AmazonGrace]

Alternative ways to reassure the waiter worrying about their tips:

A. Praise the food that you didn't touch.

B. Tell them they have nice hair.

C. Distract them by faking a fire alarm.

D. Tip them well.

It seems to me that D. would probably work best but I'm not a prophet.

Edited February 24, 2020 by AmazonGrace

[RFsurvivor]

12 hours ago, Blue said:

That's the part that devastates me. I get angry and fired up and frustrated and then I remember who is most often conned into this... the broken... the hurting... the lost...  the insecure... and once they're in, it's over. Their jobs are tied to RF. Their spouses are tied to RF. Their children don't have a single friend not in RF. They haven't attended a social function in years that isn't related somehow to RF. They've often damaged (if not burned) bridges with friends and relatives who they left behind when they joined RF, so while those people would probably happily welcome them back with open arms, it probably doesn't feel that way. Not to mention that they've stopped fully thinking for themselves, because every major decision is run by the "Shepherds" or leadership for approval.

So the thought of leaving is terrifying... you can't admit that you're in a cult or admit that she's conning you because that means loosing everything. So many of them either work directly for Exodus Industries or they work for RF members or someone in RF was fully instrumental in getting them their job... so what happens if you leave? You loose your job. They seem to try to marry new members to members in established families (though if I'm wrong, former RFers, please correct me, that just seems to be a pattern) so now if you leave, your spouse isn't coming with you. Your kids' lives will be turned upside down because every relationship they've made has been within the group, and that's assuming your spouse DOES decide to leave with you. Big decisions are suddenly suffocating because you have to make them totally on your own (or maybe that's freeing, depending on your personality I guess). 

Sorry, this turned into a tangent, but she definitely seems to mostly prey on a specific group of people... and it's heartbreaking.

This is a very important tangent and one that most people don’t understand. I found this blog post a while ago and I feel that it explains the issue rather well. 

http://midwestoutreach.org/2019/05/16/they-were-my-friends/
 

RF makes your whole life about remnant and that makes it extremely difficult to leave. We know people who will not speak their minds about concerns for fear of their spouse disagreeing and divorcing them (which is much more acceptable now that Gwen has been divorced). There were plenty of youth members who would not speak up for fear of what their parents would do.

As for marrying a new member into an established family, this is a more noticeable trend then when I was a member. However, it makes sense if you look at the testimonies. The one getting married into a big RF family normally found the church and is the only (or one of a few) member from their family. This person who has stepped “out on faith and been in  remnant” is probably yearning for acceptation so I am not surprised by them being drawn to a person with a large family who are all in RF.  

For anyone who has family/friends in Remnant, the piece of advice that I always give is to show that person you are there for them. For them to have external support systems makes it SOOOO much easier to take the leap out of Remnant. Without having a support system of friends and family not associated with Remnant, I do not know if I would have been able to leave. You don’t need to lecture them on how it’s a cult, because that is unlikely to help, but just be there for them. 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 hour ago, CTRLZero said:

This is kind of an odd remark.  I've never correlated taking leftovers home with a server worrying about a tip.  How would Gwen know the server is worrying about a tip?

The little things that puzzle me...

When my ED was in full effect I'd allow myself four half bites per meal when eating out.  Wait staff were always asking if everything was okay and if there was something wrong with the food.  

When you order a meal and barely touch it people notice.  When you eat a normal portion and take the rest home, they don't.

[Marmion]

17 hours ago, Blue said:

I truly have no doubt about that. Until my husband and I really started talking about it, we didn't realize how little is ACTUALLY taught about the trinity in most churches. It's almost just like an assumed understanding (or maybe just an assumed conclusion). Nevermind the fact that Gwen's position is very muddled depending on what source you're looking at. When we've discussed this with people in RF, we've often sat back and watched RF people debate amongst themselves what Gwen actually teaches, and they've been going there for years, and half of what they're saying she teaches in church directly contradicts the official positions she's posted online. 

As we've done more research into the trinity and what the Bible says about it (though, to make sure to acknowledge one of Gwen's fav arguments, the word itself isn't in there), it's really helped to define our own faith and what we believe... but it's also really opened our eyes to how little we understood about the "official" position of most churches and how little we really understood about what we had been taught our whole lives. 

I think that I might have come across exactly what heresy , regarding the Trinity , that Gwen teaches .  See , I was thinking that if I were to make up a name for what she appears to believe about the Godhead , I would called it subordinationism . And then I got to thinking , I wonder if that's actually already a thing . And upon looking it up online , I found that it indeed is an existing recognized historic heresy . Not only that but it's been tied to Arminianism , and thereby by extension , to some extent at least to not only the Church of the Nazarene , which to its credit is still Trinitarian , but also to the Churches of Christ , among others . { https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subordinationism#Seventeenth-century_Arminianism , 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminianism#Current_landscape }  The Church of Christ , if you'll recall , was the church that Shamblin originated from . So I think that this solves the mystery of  " Gwen Says Something I Can't Understand " .  And I think that @throwaway9988 was more correct in making the point that Gwen's perfectionism , and subordinationism reinforce each other , than I had initially given throwaway9988 credit for .  And I am concerned that ultimately Brentwood could mean a similar fate to that of Jonestown , only via starvation , rather than by mass suicide . Oh , and incidentally , Jim Jones also had a similar background , in regards to the basis for his stated religious beliefs , that Gwen Shamblin also seems to have .   

Quote

Jimmy Jones’s first experience of going to church was with Mrs. Myrtle Kennedy, his spiritual mother. Mrs. Kennedy and her husband, pastor of the local Nazarene Church, took Jimmy under their wing and soon the young Jimmy was spending evenings with the Kennedys .   https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-humanity-of-reverend-jim-jones.html  Part 3 : JIM JONES AS A CHILD 

Quote

The Jones’ lived in a derelict shack that lacked plumbing. When young Jim began school at age six, his mother took a factory job. This provided the child with the freedom before and after school to roam the streets. He was a needy child who was terrified of his father. Finding it difficult to make friends, he spent a lot of time alone reading.

Often the child could be seen wandering around town looking disconsolate. Elderly widows around town felt sympathy for the young waif and would invite him in for a piece of cake. The boy was so polite that he soon won them over. It was through one of these local matriarchs that Jim got his first exposure to religion, by way of the church of the Nazarene. Jim was constantly attentive, even quoting scripture back to the elderly woman . To his mother’s ambivalence, Jim began attending church with the old woman. He hung on every word coming from the preacher’s mouth. He also showed an amazing ability to recite sermons and quote lengthy Biblical verses .

Quote

After three years of steadily building up its membership, the People’s Temple was granted official standing by the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Northern-California- Nevada region in 1968.

https://biographics.org/jim-jones-biography-religious-cult-leader-responsible-for-a-mass-suicide/   { https://reverendjimjones.wordpress.com/category/persons-and-animals/myrtle-kennedy/ ,  https://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2012-11/disciples-me , http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jonestown-bio-jones/  , 

https://www.adherents.com/people/pj/Jim_Jones.html , https://wrldrels.org/2016/10/08/peoples-temple/ }

Edited February 24, 2020 by Marmion

[SuperNova]

3 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Alternative ways to reassure the waiter worrying about their tips:

A. Praise the food that you didn't touch.

B. Tell them they have nice hair.

C. Distract them by faking a fire alarm.

D. Tip them well.

It seems to me that D. would probably work best but I'm not a prophet.

Maybe I'll give your list a try. My mom hates to cook and loves eating at diners so whenever I visit, that's where we go. She picks diners that give enormous quantities of food that I can't hope to finish. The waitress is always anxious about it and asks me if everything is ok or if I didn't like my food. She just wants to make sure I'm happy but it gets on my nerves. I'm fine. I just can't shovel 3 eggs, 6 sausages, and a pound and a half of potatoes down my throat. And that's the small breakfast platter. It would put the poor waitress over the edge if I asked for a to-go box at the beginning of the meal. You can purchase items a la carte but it ends up costing more than a platter so the platter it is. Mr. Nova is happy to take my leftovers to work. 

[Xan]

Latest video is about doing good in the world.  Mostly we see their prison ministry.  It creeps me out that they are attempting to convert even more people.

Joe's hair and eyebrows are being dyed darker and his hair is getting taller.  It's only a matter of time before he starts clipping in extensions of his own.  And Gwen is here in her usual cartoony platforms and less usual skinny pants.  

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Xan

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 minute ago, Xan said:

Latest video is about doing good in the world.  Mostly we see their prison ministry.  It creeps me out that they are attempting to convert even more people.

Joe's hair and eyebrows are being dyed darker and his hair is getting taller.  It's only a matter of time before he starts clipping in extensions of his own.  And Gwen is here in her usual cartoony platforms and skinny pants.  

 

I know it's petty and pales in comparison to the truly horrible things about her, but what kills me about her hair isn't just the look...it's that it has to feel so stiff and yucky.  I have longish hair and I spend a lot of time running my hands through it when I'm thinking...enough that I had to make a concerted effort to learn not to play with my hair around others.  

I can't imagine having hair that's not pleasant to touch.

[SpecialAgentCookieCrisp]

So first off, I would never seriously pray for someone to choke. I'm not like Gwen even tho I'd being doing all of mankind a favor. 

The boots from her Saturday outfit are the ones from Friday night I believe. I did not hear what they were saying. There was a piece of glass, a half wall and I walkway between us. And my back was to them. The other people in my party were taking inventory. Erin(Elle) or whatever the freak her name is walked by several times shuttling little girls back and forth to the restroom. There were about 9 adults, 6-9 kids at the other end of the table. The group was there when we arrived however I did not recognize them until she showed up. When Gwen and Joe walked by, she was holding on to him like she might fall or hasn't figured out her boots yet. He looked like he was in lala land. Eyes focused on their destination at the back. They didn't look around, both oblivious of how ridiculous she looks. Honestly the cameras are kind to her compared to the in person version. I think he is aware of how weird she looks and tries to not notice the stares. Elizabeth was not there that I saw. Half the group had their backs to me but I believe one was Ted Anger. He looks younger or a little chubbier in person. 

We left not too long after they arrived. Like I said, it appears Michaels wife was pregnant but I guess I don't know for sure. I mean aren't their children older? They've been married for almost 20 years I think. She's actually very pretty and normal looking. A new grand baby to get them back in Gwens good graces? 

I'm really interested in how she explains away 1 Samuel 16:7......

But the Lord said to Samuel, "do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

How Gwen, how do you twist this around?

[AmazonGrace]

People see you're skinny but God sees you're starving yourself for Jesus?

[Marmion]

1 hour ago, SpecialAgentCookieCrisp said:

I'm really interested in how she explains away 1 Samuel 16:7......

But the Lord said to Samuel, "do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

How Gwen, how do you twist this around?

I imagine that she would answer along the same sort of lines as these Pentecostal / Holiness sectarians ( cultists ? ) . 

Quote

1 Samuel 16:7 is among the most mishandled Scriptures in the Bible. The text does not indicate that God doesn’t care at all about the outward appearance. That would contradict dozens of Old Testament (Deuteronomy 22:5, 12, Exodus 28:42-43, Ezekiel 44:17, Proverbs 7:10, Hosea 2:13, Leviticus 19:28, Genesis 17:14) and New Testament passages (1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:2-5, 1 Corinthians 11:1-15, Ephesians 4:19, Galatians 5:19, Romans 12:1-2).

The spiritual principle at work in 1 Samuel 16:7 is that God is not fooled or swayed by outward appearances alone. God is not impressed by the superficial. God has the supernatural ability to see beyond our exterior into our innermost being. He sees our true intentions, our deepest desires, and our secret longings. While man may see physical strength, God sees spiritual weakness. Where man may only see outward sincerity, God sees inward corruption. This is refreshing and sobering at the same time.

https://ryanafrench.com/tag/is-holiness-inward-and-outward/  

Quote

Holiness is a separation from the World. Some church folks think it's only on the inside is what counts.But outward holiness is just as important as inward holiness. The Inside always reflects the outside! You shall Know the Tree by it's fruit it bears. As long as there is good fruit(a right attitude ,a Right Spirit) we are Learning and there will be a change like a season's change. It will be noticeable. A Real change from Darkness to light, Blind eyes will see the truth for the first time(revelation) and deaf ears(ears that didn't want to hear the Word of God will be opened!)

https://jesuslovesyou-sisterdella.blogspot.com/2010/12/is-outward-holiness-just-as-important.html  

Quote

Outward holiness is important because it allows the Holy Spirit within a person to shine forth. God sees the heart, but man sees only the outward appearance. This is why our outward appearance is so important: God wants everyone around us to see the Spirit that dwells in our hearts

http://gloriouschurch.com/Questions-Answers-Details.asp?QuestID=3934   

Quote

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Man looks at the outward show, but God looks at the inward soul.

However, that being said, let us not forget that both God and man see the outward appearance, and this is of immense importance. Outward appearances matter. The show that men are watching ought to be impressive to men so that they see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

Friends, the problem with the Pharisees was not their external piety. No, the characteristic of these men which was deplorable to Jesus was their lack of interest on an internal purity that matched their outward show. It was their duplicity and hypocrisy that offended Jesus, and not their dutiful holiness.

In contrast, Jesus Christ was one who kept God’s Law from the inside out. His insides were pure as he worshiped God with all of his heart, soul, and mind. Consequently, this was appreciated by the Father and recognized by all his neighbors who witnessed Jesus’ worshiping with all his strength. Jesus worshiped with heart and hands, with his will and works, with his thinking and his talking, with his character and his conduct. His inner show was impressive to his Father. His outward show was impressive to his Father and his brothers.

https://unfathomablegrace.com/2015/04/14/the-outward-show-holiness-from-the-inside-out/   

Quote

creation, excellent in appearance and order, displays that outward appearances are important to God. The creation did not have to look good in order to function efficiently. However, God chose to make it attractive because the breathtaking, awesome beauty and design of His creation is a reflection of His character. Genesis 1:31 says, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Thousands of years later, the Eternal Creator could still be seen through His creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalms 19:1). Notice Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” The creation, in its appearance and function, provides adequate proof of the true Creator. Consider the creative work of Jesus Christ as a carpenter (Mark 6:3). Do you think He cared how His carpentry work looked outwardly? Based upon the outcome of the universe, it’s safe to say His work was also orderly, decent and efficient. Appearance of Evil? It is clear that appearance is important to God. Paul wrote, “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22, King James Version). What is the intent of this verse? The New King James Version and New American Standard Bible specify every “form” of evil while the New International Version notes every “kind” of evil. The intent of this verse covers how we look, which can be a form or kind of evil. Therefore, as Christians, we are to be circumspect about our attire and appearance.

https://www.ucg.org/united-news/outward-appearance-does-god-care  

Quote

Pleasing God in personal appearance! Does this seem like a strange subject to discuss? Do you think that God accepts anything we may wear as long as our inner heart is warm toward God? If so, you are only looking at a part of God’s will in regard to physical appearance.

Are you a Christian? If so, this message is for you. It is not directed to the person who has little or no interest in the will of God for their life. If you belong to Christ, you are not the person you used to be! The Word of God says that you are a new person inside. Paul the apostle writes, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Furthermore, you are to continue the changing process–of change from what you once were in sin to what God wants you to be in Christ. Notice this profound and expected transformation: “In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:22-24). What does this say? We are to lay aside the old self of sin and put on the new self of righteousness (1 Peter 2:24)!

This means that God wants you to begin an entirely new way of living! He gives you the Holy Spirit so that you will have the strength to live for Him and obey Him (Rom. 8:13; Eph. 3:16). God will lead you to:

A new way of thinking (Rom. 12:2)

A new way of speaking (Eph. 4:29)

A new way of relating to people (Luke 6:31)

A new way of reading (Phil. 4:8)

A new way of eating (1 Cor. 10:31)

A new way of spending your time (Eph. 5:15-16)

A new way of using your money (2 Cor. 8:3-5; 9:6-7)

A new way of looking at life (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

Let’s discuss one more aspect of your life that God wants to change. The Lord wants to change your appearance. In one respect, God actually wants you to take the initiative in doing the changing–but He will give you the strength and ability to do this to please Him (Phil. 2:13-14; Heb. 13:21)....  

The true Christian is part of a counter-cultural movement. We do not think, speak, plan, read, eat, or dress like the sinful society around us! God has “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). Just as our words reveal our heart (Matt. 12:34), so our appearance reveals our inner person (1 Peter 3:3-4). God says that people look on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). He wants us to have a heart that is earnestly in love with Him that will motivate us to appear as transformed people. Our very appearance is to be pure and holy–in contrast to a world around us that is distorted and under God’s righteous judgment. Let us prayerfully determine to give all we are and have to God through Christ and make the radical changes necessary to appear as His children in the world .  https://truediscipleship.com/pleasing-god-in-personal-apperance/   

[AmazonGrace]

Careful Gwen, your eating disorder is showing. 

Spoiler

 

How to Know What “Full” Is

February 25, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

To start with, what is the definition of full? I used to know no end to cravings. It seemed as if I could eat all day and not get full. I knew that “slightly full” meant that I had to take off my belt, “moderately full” meant change into stretch clothes, and “painfully full” meant that the only position I could get in was horizontal. Those are the full sensations, right? Well, not anymore!

Full is a very polite feeling that leaves you bursting with energy. Now you are going to be a new creation—made in the image of the Creator and following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The new definition of full is “just satisfied,” but the stomach is not extended, nor even slightly uncomfortable. You feel energetic when you finish breakfast and lunch. Yes, you might feel less active in the evening, but that is more due to a long day of work. It is appropriate to let the body digest the evening meal, but you will no longer eat so much that you pass out on the sofa after dinner. This new life will leave you with much more energy. The way God made the human to eat can be seen in the children. They are ready to run and play after a small amount of food. Full is the feeling that has taken away the growling, empty feeling but it is back to how you felt as a child—a high-energy experience.

 

Gwen is supposed to tell us how to recognize full but I still don't know what polite sensations mean. Her former definitions of full are pure binge eating disorder, and she has never seen a child eat a small horse.

But somehow she knows that her definition of full is following Jesus so I take it he threw away half of what was on his plate at last supper.

This is regular programming, this devo is discussed somewhere in thread 5 like the others this week.

[dawbs]

20 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Alternative ways to reassure the waiter worrying about their tips:

A. Praise the food that you didn't touch.

B. Tell them they have nice hair.

C. Distract them by faking a fire alarm.

D. Tip them well.

It seems to me that D. would probably work best but I'm not a prophet.

Ah, B

The dreaded 'verbal tip'.

Worst thing about being paid in tips is getting a compliment and having to grit teeth and say thanks, knowing that the person feels a compliment shaves 5% off the required tip

(Ok, not worst thing, just an annoying thing)

Edited February 25, 2020 by dawbs

[throwaway9988]

20 hours ago, Marmion said:

I think that I might have come across exactly what heresy , regarding the Trinity , that Gwen teaches .  See , I was thinking that if I were to make up a name for what she appears to believe about the Godhead , I would called it subordinationism . And then I got to thinking , I wonder if that's actually already a thing . And upon looking it up online , I found that it indeed is an existing recognized historic heresy . Not only that but it's been tied to Arminianism , and thereby by extension , to some extent at least to not only the Church of the Nazarene , which to its credit is still Trinitarian , but also to the Churches of Christ , among others . { https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subordinationism#Seventeenth-century_Arminianism , 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminianism#Current_landscape }  The Church of Christ , if you'll recall , was the church that Shamblin originated from . So I think that this solves the mystery of  " Gwen Says Something I Can't Understand " .  And I think that @throwaway9988 was more correct in making the point that Gwen's perfectionism , and subordinationism reinforce each other , than I had initially given throwaway9988 credit for .  And I am concerned that ultimately Brentwood could mean a similar fate to that of Jonestown , only via starvation , rather than by mass suicide . Oh , and incidentally , Jim Jones also had a similar background , in regards to the basis for his stated religious beliefs , that Gwen Shamblin also seems to have .   

https://biographics.org/jim-jones-biography-religious-cult-leader-responsible-for-a-mass-suicide/   { https://reverendjimjones.wordpress.com/category/persons-and-animals/myrtle-kennedy/ ,  https://www.christiancentury.org/blogs/archive/2012-11/disciples-me , http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jonestown-bio-jones/  , 

https://www.adherents.com/people/pj/Jim_Jones.html , https://wrldrels.org/2016/10/08/peoples-temple/ }

Yes, that’s it! Basically that Jesus is divine and was with God at the beginning and at his right hand, born on earth as a human, but that Jesus is ultimately not the same being as God; rather, Jesus is God’s son who has a separate will which is subordinate to God’s will.
 

As I said before, the subordination aspect is heavily emphasized in Remnant due to Remnant’s teachings about obedience to God via obedience to existing power structures as well as  “dying to your own will” while striving towards complete sanctification via complete obedience to God’s will for every second of your entire life.  So that is why rejecting the idea of a Trinity and having Jesus be subordinate to God ends up getting tied into some of the most common and fundamental teachings of the Remnant cult.

Thanks to Marmion for giving us the ability to succinctly describe these convoluted beliefs ?

Edited February 25, 2020 by throwaway9988

[Xan]

4 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Careful Gwen, your eating disorder is showing. 

  Hide contents

 

How to Know What “Full” Is

February 25, 2020

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

To start with, what is the definition of full? I used to know no end to cravings. It seemed as if I could eat all day and not get full. I knew that “slightly full” meant that I had to take off my belt, “moderately full” meant change into stretch clothes, and “painfully full” meant that the only position I could get in was horizontal. Those are the full sensations, right? Well, not anymore!

Full is a very polite feeling that leaves you bursting with energy. Now you are going to be a new creation—made in the image of the Creator and following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The new definition of full is “just satisfied,” but the stomach is not extended, nor even slightly uncomfortable. You feel energetic when you finish breakfast and lunch. Yes, you might feel less active in the evening, but that is more due to a long day of work. It is appropriate to let the body digest the evening meal, but you will no longer eat so much that you pass out on the sofa after dinner. This new life will leave you with much more energy. The way God made the human to eat can be seen in the children. They are ready to run and play after a small amount of food. Full is the feeling that has taken away the growling, empty feeling but it is back to how you felt as a child—a high-energy experience.

 

Gwen is supposed to tell us how to recognize full but I still don't know what polite sensations mean. Her former definitions of full are pure binge eating disorder, and she has never seen a child eat a small horse.

But somehow she knows that her definition of full is following Jesus so I take it he threw away half of what was on his plate at last supper.

This is regular programming, this devo is discussed somewhere in thread 5 like the others this week.

The problem she seems to be having is that she has paired appetite and fullness with religious devotion.  It just doesn't work.  it makes as much sense as saying" "If you love God with all your heart, you don't need sleep!  Ignore your body telling you that it is tired.  Instead of fatigue, you'll feel energetic!  Once you realize that God gives you energy, you will need only half the sleep you used to get."  Appetite and hunger are body signals.  Saying you can ignore them because you love Jesus is just so crazy.

I think she got the idea from the old ascetics who thought if they used enough self-discipline and fasted that they would be closer to God.  I've always thought that they probably started hallucinating as they got closer to starvation.  But they sure did get skinny and the modern world loves skinny, doesn't it, Gwen?

[Blue]

1 hour ago, throwaway9988 said:

Yes, that’s it! Basically that Jesus is divine and was with God at the beginning and at his right hand, born on earth as a human, but that Jesus is ultimately not the same being as God; rather, Jesus is God’s son who has a separate will which is subordinate to God’s will.
 

As I said before, the subordination aspect is heavily emphasized in Remnant due to Remnant’s teachings about obedience to God via obedience to existing power structures as well as  “dying to your own will” while striving towards complete sanctification via complete obedience to God’s will for every second of your entire life.  So that is why rejecting the idea of a Trinity and having Jesus be subordinate to God ends up getting tied into some of the most common and fundamental teachings of the Remnant cult.

Thanks to Marmion for giving us the ability to succinctly describe these convoluted beliefs ?

 

What I think muddles it up though is that it's clear that the teaching doesn't stop there. Don't get me wrong, I TOTALLY understand to a point because I believe strongly that many dedicated and devoted mainstream Christians couldn't define the trinity doctrine that they say they believe it, so it makes sense that some in RF would also been confused about the trinity doctrine that their group believes...

Over the past few years we've been given at least 3 different trinity explanations, including that Jesus is a created being (meaning not with God at the beginning and pre-creation time, but created BY God to do His will on Earth... maybe created at the beginning, but not part of the creation process, does that make sense?)... that Jesus' job on Earth was to teach us that a human can live a perfect life (as opposed to atoning for the sins of the world, that was just something he happened to do)... and that there is a hierarchy (which sounds like what is being described above) but which treads dangerously near polytheism. All theories said to us by people who have been in RF for extended periods of time and who insist firmly and boldly that Gwen claims these things, and providing sermons to prove it... I stand by my original statement that I'm not even 100% sure GWEN understands what it is that she teaches. I get that when you teach, not everyone is going to get it, so maybe these people are just beyond confused, but they provided significant Biblical sources (albeit out of context and often misunderstood) which leads me to believe that the teaching came from somewhere.

That being said - that is the closest I've found to the way that she describes the trinity on her website! It's so nice to find something that finally puts a bow on a theology that's tough to define.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Blue