Remnant Fellowship 19: Leaning on the Everlasting Gwen

[RFfamANON]

1 hour ago, TDHuggies said:

Yeah agreed. You know though if Gwen had still been onstage there wouldn’t have been the mass exodus like that…meaning Michael doesn’t have the same draw. That’s just my gut reaction. Who knows tho.

Oh I 100% agree!!

[AmazonGrace]

Remnant has improved on the Jewish calendar again. And mathematics.

Anyway according to She Who Posts While Dead,  the Remnant Days of Awe began the night of August 9th. The Day of Trumpets (aka Rosh Hashanah) is 30 days from the 9th  which according to the standard plebeian calendar that I use would be September 8th but Remnant will celebrate on the 11th which is 33 days from the 9th and a Saturday.  According to https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-117/2/Eight%20Year%20Calendar%20of%20Jewish%20Holy%20Days%20%20-%202018-2026.pdf  Rosh Hashanah is celebrated Sept 7th-8th.

Then, another 10 days and we arrive to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which according to the Jewish calendar in the pdf is Sept 16th. But if we add 10 days to the Remnant Day of Trumpets, Sept 11th we get to Sept 21th.  But Remnant will celebrate neither on the  21th or the 16th but on the 18th, which is a Saturday. This is 40 days from the 9th August but only seven days from the Remnant Day of Trumpets. 

If you're a Remnant member 33 can be the new 30 and 7 days can be the new 10 and however you choose to count the days the result is always Saturday.

Spoiler

Days of Awe

August 10, 2021

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

1 Comment

We began observing the Days of Awe at twilight last night. These Days of Awe last for 40 days and commemorate Moses re-ascending the mountain as a second chance to get the approval and the life-giving Ten Commandments and the Covenant with God. With the 40 Days of Awe, you have one level of repentance for the first 30 days, knowing that you have done wrong and listening to that Holy Spirit and looking inward. Then the final 10 days begin with the Day of Trumpets, which we will commemorate on September 11th. At the Day of Trumpets, God sounds the trumpet louder and it marks the beginning of the last 10 days leading up to the Day of Atonement, the Day of Forgiveness. This is an opportunity for the rejoining of the relationship with God, knowing that you have peace with God. The Day of Atonement is the day that Moses comes back with the answer and with the Covenant and the words for a successful marriage to God. We are to learn to be humble and not expect forgiveness, but to be appreciative of it so that there can be a great celebration on the Day of Atonement, which we will celebrate September 18th.  

During these Days of Awe, we are to be purging sin, and it goes deeper every day until this purging is so deep that you can on the final day easily do a complete fast away from anything that has been an indulgence for you. God also requires a fast from food on that final day for the healthy adults. With this type of introspection, looking inward, slowing down and thinking about exactly what God wants, I can testify that a fast is easier every year and that denial seems like nothing by that point. In fact, it is exciting to show God and show yourself that you can deny yourself and live for God alone. We welcome you to join us in this 40-day journey of purity for God!

 

[Howl]

I can't even with the pathology in this text:   I can testify that a fast is easier every year and that denial seems like nothing by that point. In fact, it is exciting to show God and show yourself that you can deny yourself and live for God alone.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Bragging about numbers makes me think they are losing members. 

[Alisamer]

The idea of a "youth" weighdown class makes me cringe, a bit. 

If it was a class about actual nutrition or something, that would be fine. But "weighdown"? In every youth group I've seen, there are some people who are overweight who would be embarrassed about it, some who are very skinny already, and plenty who are average but likely to end up feeling fat after an entire class about how not to eat. It's like a recipe for inciting eating disorders!

[RFsurvivor]

1 hour ago, Alisamer said:

The idea of a "youth" weighdown class makes me cringe, a bit. 

If it was a class about actual nutrition or something, that would be fine. But "weighdown"? In every youth group I've seen, there are some people who are overweight who would be embarrassed about it, some who are very skinny already, and plenty who are average but likely to end up feeling fat after an entire class about how not to eat. It's like a recipe for inciting eating disorders!

When I was a member, the youth group would have pushed for everyone to be in some type of class. We would do whole youth group ones or smaller groups like high school girls. It was constant 

[AmazonGrace]

Considering this is The One  And Only True Church that got the God's own truth straight from the horse's mouth, having only 150 people attend is rather pitiful

[TDHuggies]

well gotta say those kids don't look to thrilled to be there!

Also Liz saying "tons of men"...if there were enough to be impressive they'd give the actual number.

Edited August 10, 2021 by TDHuggies

[ManyGoats]

4 hours ago, Howl said:

 I can testify that a fast is easier every year and that denial seems like nothing by that point.

I would argue that if it's easy and seems like nothing, then it's not really denial. She needed to find something different to give up, like her diet coke or her bump-it or her make-up.......

[Bluebirdbluebell]

My question is: how many families is 150 kids?

Unlike IBLP, the remenant families tend to be smaller from what I've seen. Still it's probably around 40-75 families, which is not a lont. 

[rabbitholejulie]

On 8/7/2021 at 10:42 PM, TDHuggies said:

Umm…

At the concert tonight. Looks like Michael has gained even more weight. Which is fine in the real world (especially under stressful circumstances) but this is crazy-cult-gotta-starve-to-prove-you-love-God world he is supposed to be leading. 
Also looked like a lot of empty seats and it emptied out before they were even done. Michael even mentioned something about only 12 people left for the final song.

 

This looks sloppy for church.

[RFfamANON]

19 hours ago, RFsurvivor said:

When I was a member, the youth group would have pushed for everyone to be in some type of class. We would do whole youth group ones or smaller groups like high school girls. It was constant 

Good Lord!! How many eating disorders have they created over the years of this happening. Breaks my heart and makes me really really angry. 

[quiversR4hunting]

21 hours ago, Alisamer said:

The idea of a "youth" weighdown class makes me cringe, a bit. 

If it was a class about actual nutrition or something, that would be fine. But "weighdown"? In every youth group I've seen, there are some people who are overweight who would be embarrassed about it, some who are very skinny already, and plenty who are average but likely to end up feeling fat after an entire class about how not to eat. It's like a recipe for inciting eating disorders!

I also cringed when I read "youth weighdown". I agree the sessions should be more about nutrition/exercise balance. And unless  diagnosed by a real doctor to be obese and under directions from said doctor on loosing weight then kids should not be obsessing about weight and diets. 

[shesinsane]

22 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Remnant has improved on the Jewish calendar again. And mathematics.

As a Hebrew school dropout, I find it hilarious these people think they know more about calendars than a group whose calendar has more than 3000 years on RF's calendar. 
This year, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the start of year 5782 on 9/6 at sundown, 2021 is less than half as long as Jewish people have been tracking the days. 😏

[TDHuggies]

I will watch (with sick fascination) the service tonight to see if I can get an idea of attendance.

Also they have to be freaking out a bit about the upcoming documentary. I noticed that many of the main players have deleted photos off of FB (Candace, Ted and just about everyone else). They still have their accounts but they’ve been scrubbed pretty clean.

[RFsurvivor]

1 hour ago, TDHuggies said:

I will watch (with sick fascination) the service tonight to see if I can get an idea of attendance.

Also they have to be freaking out a bit about the upcoming documentary. I noticed that many of the main players have deleted photos off of FB (Candace, Ted and just about everyone else). They still have their accounts but they’ve been scrubbed pretty clean.

Oh really? I’m not surprised they did a social media scrub. They are so worried about image. 
 

On a related topic, I have found it entertaining that so many members have private social media accounts. It used to be that your social media presence should glorify God and show the fruits of Remnant. Everyone had public instagrams and facebooks. 

[ManyGoats]

4 hours ago, TDHuggies said:

I will watch (with sick fascination) the service tonight to see if I can get an idea of attendance.

I can't speak to attendance and I have only watched for a few minutes but I've noticed something with the last two guys to lead the service. When they're praising their leaders, (dead or alive) and the congregation stands and claps, both Durville and Eldon say, "Very appropriate, very appropriate." That just seems odd to me, having never heard anything like it. Is that to ward off criticism of so much adulation of their leaders? 

[My Fam in RF]

So do we think the story Durville told tonight about the woman he hired was true? How do you know about Gwen and Weigh Down but not know she started a church?? I wonder where he worked and who this woman is...

[TDHuggies]

Things I noticed watching last nights service:

-Heavy, and I mean heavy emphasis on the young marrieds and teen youth to keep involved. They obviously are trying to keep them close and in the message.
- In the front 6 or 7 rows I counted at least 20 empty seats (not including where Gwen and family would normally sit in the upper left). 
-They spoke about reputation and Gwen's reputation a few times. They are clearly stressed.
 

My opinion and this is just opinion is that there's been a lot of people who have left the church. I think if Elizabeth had stepped up right away it would maybe have staved off some of that. NOT that I blame someone for needing time to themselves after such a blow as she's had. Just saying that it seems a lot of damage is happening and they are trying to keep things afloat until Elizabeth is ready to get out front. Also I'm sure everyone is aware of the HBO documentary coming up and those who aren't 100% in I'm sure are wondering if they want to stay for that whole shit-show that will ultimately follow.  

On a personal note I am SO so happy to have somewhere to talk about this and really appreciate you all. 

[AmazonGrace]

Signs That You Have Been Possessed By Demons, by Gwen Shamblin Lara:

1. You have eaten. 2. You like sex.

Spoiler

Put on the New Life

August 12, 2021

by Gwen Shamblin Lara

0 Comment

Put on the new life, be born again, and be a new creation by putting the Thin Eater behaviors and mindset into practice. Live like Jesus Christ in all humility and willingness to suffer to complete the will of the Father. Christ did not complain, he simply lived to please the Father, whatever it took. You cannot stop at just eliminating your old desires; you have to replace those old desires with godly new desires. You have heard of this parable taught by Jesus in Luke 11:24-26:

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

This person that Jesus was talking about had accomplished the first step (made a decision to serve God) and the second step… they had repented and left the old behaviors behind. But they had not done the third step… put on the new self to be like Christ. By not filling the heart with the love of God, the wanton demons came back in and were seven times more wicked than before—now more bingeing, more greed, and more lust than before. Like Ephesians 4:19 says, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

 

[freefromthin]

Per his own testimony, they have offered Durville a paid position at Remnant. I had noticed that he was out front quite a bit since Gwen died.

[rabbitholejulie]

2 hours ago, freefromthin said:

Per his own testimony, they have offered Durville a paid position at Remnant. I had noticed that he was out front quite a bit since Gwen died.

What is Durville's day job?  Maybe he's actually been to seminary?

[freefromthin]

21 minutes ago, rabbitholejulie said:

What is Durville's day job?  Maybe he's actually been to seminary?

He said that he was asked to leave corporate America for a job at RF. I have no idea whether or not he's been to seminary, though.

[finacial ice]

On 8/7/2021 at 12:27 PM, Blue said:

I would think so... They've been lucky that it's been summer break. Most churches do things a little different during the summer with people and pastors taking vacations and such. Day Camp gave them cute material for a while, and now back to school, but people are about to settle back into their normal routines.

Then again, I never understood how their congregation didn't get sick of NOT having "regular" teaching. Even before Gwen died, it felt like at least two Saturdays a month were weddings, and of the other two Saturdays half the time it was a video or just testimonies. So maybe this actually doesn't feel THAT off to them 🤷‍♀️

This is so true!!! This started when she divorced and remarried.....Her ex husband has a theology degree. I personally feel that he wrote her sermons for her. I believe he was very much the silent messenger, may explain why she had to pay out HUGE in the divorce.

[finacial ice]

On 8/10/2021 at 5:01 PM, TDHuggies said:

well gotta say those kids don't look to thrilled to be there!

Also Liz saying "tons of men"...if there were enough to be impressive they'd give the actual number.

ooooh they like to focus on the men,  thinking that makes the church look really good!! They want to brag to the public how men stay in the church after the divorce (leadership secretly encourages manipulates spouse to get divorce)  then announce that the wife chooses to leave due to her not being under authority and wanting to be a really bad sinful wife (which is a lie) And then of course they are always saying how the church heals broken marriages!!