My sister is in a cult

Hello everyone,

In the last four years my sister has been a part of the Remnant Fellowship, a finge group of Judeo-Christians down in Tennessee. They do not believe in the trinity and believe that Jesus is a separate being from God the father. They also believe they are the true “remnant” mentioned in the bible and that all other forms of Christianity is “counterfeit”. I use quotes because this is from their own mouths. Research their statement of faith on their website: http://www.remnantfellowship.org/About-Our-Church/What-We-Believe/The-Essence-Of-God

My sister was lured in through the Weighdown Workshop. She lost over 100lbs doing it and it is what convinced her that this church is the ultimate truth.

For my wedding she was the matron of honour and her husband was a groomsman. Two months before the wedding she told me God was telling her that she should not be up at the alter with my husband and I because our beliefs were different and she could not support us by being in the wedding party, so her and her husband backed out. I was so heartbroken and upset. My mom is a part of that church too and she was upset by their decision, so she reached out to a leader and his response was along the lines of, “our members cannot be part of a non-Remnant wedding, especially matrons of honour. We will pray that your family (my husband and I) will break free from their counterfeit religion.”

The “counterfeit” is believing that Jesus, God and the Holy Soirit are one in the same being by the way. One holy being but three distinct persons.

After the wedding the left Canada and moved to Tennessee to be with the church because they believed God wanted them there and that there was nothing here for them.

This was less than a year ago with the wedding and he moving and they plan on being American citizens and staying in Tennessee with their two young kids.

I want to leave this topic open to the dangers of being lured into a promising looking belief system that offers transformation through a similar form of Christianity on the surface, but deep down at its roots they don’t really understand the free gift of grace. Remnant Fellowship thinks that all churches teach cheap grace and that in order to be holy we must be completely perfect and sinless. They also teach that you can live a sinless life here on earth through perfect obedience to the Father. The sacrifice of Jesus is not emphasized because he is a lesser being from God. They also “follow” the sabbath (loosely... calling church on Saturday sabbath is NOT sabbath) and feast days. Passover is a bigger deal than resurrection Sunday.

I’m in the process of trying to love and forgive my sister for all of this. I’m still deeply hurt and pray everyday for them, my mom included. It has caused some heavy division in my family between my brothers family and my dad. Please pray and advise how to moved forward, love and better minister to them.

O Lord, please give my sister Prairiegirl strength and wisdom in this situation.

(also welcome to CC, Prairiegirl!)

Hi Prariegirl from another Canadian

I read your post and I understand what you are saying
yes your sister and it seems mother are in a cult. cults major in separating family members and isolating their members in order to control. you have probably come to that conclusion yourself.

we know that none of what you say they believe is actually Christianity. They are deceived. I'm so sorry this has happened

I pray that God would give you the strength and wisdom to deal with this and to continue to pray for your family members that have become entrapped in this cult. Forgiveness can be a process but I am glad you see the need to forgive.

I will tell you this though. You cannot move from Canada to the US without the proper documentation. If your sister and family just packed up and moved (I wonder how they got across the border) they are illegal aliens. they are subject to deportation and in their case that might be a good thing

I guess you might know if they are in the US legally or not?

Remnant theology that looks to the teaching of the men in their sect and hold it above that which is written can be likened to the Nicolaitans a denomination under the authority of a man as that seen, Nicole .

Jesus speaking to that sect replied; I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left your first love. Which is the hearing of faith , hearing God not seen as that exclusively comes from believing all things written in the law and the prophets or what we call sola scriptural. They left their first love, hearing God not seen revealed by the scriptures alone.

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2: 6-7

We did defend the faith of Christ as the armor of God we put on.

Keep brining the gospel according to the scriptures and not a gospel of men .I would focus on how can we hear God and not men .Perhaps God will move her to look to our first love, hearing God through the scriptures alone

Thank you for your encouraging responses! Prayer is heavily needed and be most proactive thing we can right not.

7seas: They are there legally. My brother in law applied for a job out there and was hired before they left (two year process that I didn’t know about until a week before he left) and my sister has done her exams so she can practice nursing

ok. got it.

prayer is the most proactive thing to do as you say. I will keep your situation in mind

hugs

I am glad you posted this, as your own, sad experience is a warning about cults, and how we do need to be discerning. Sadly, there are people in this forum who believe in sinless perfection, but I think even those people believe in the Trinity. This is really a Hebrew Roots heresy. And your sister and family are the ones caught in it.

I personally would back off trying to change them. And pray for God to convict them, and show them the evil in this cult. It becomes very hard to leave a cult like this, because they probably get a lot of affirmation from the group, and a lot of negativity towards the outside world. So, you will not be able to change them.

Finally, be there for them, if they come to you. It might just be questions like, "So what does the Trinity mean to you?" Rather than taking offense, or thinking they are on the attack, just answer back as simply and as lovely as you can.

I will pray for God to release them, and for that matter, all those caught in this deception.

PS. 100 pounds? Wow! What I wouldn't do to lose 50! LOL

Hello I'm Scott Williams from Texas and am new here

welcome scott, just a idea, trying to be helpful. go to the new member forum section and introduce yourself. if you already have "my bad" anyway welcome to cc

Prariegirl, Our prayers are with you. As believers in Christ its hard to understand the draw these cults have on people. We do know it is satans work. Be sure to let her know you are praying for her and include bible verses in any correspondence you have. My heartfelt concern to you and I pray GOD will send someone to be a friend to her and bring her back to truth. Some times family is the last person they will listen to.

Prairiegirl, I've joined this chatting website specifically to hear more about what's going on with your sister at Remnant Fellowship. I'm from the Middle Tennessee area and I've got a few friends that are part of Remnant Fellowship in Brentwood, TN. I have been to the "church" various times and I realized that it was a cult. They are far from scripture. I am part of a church in Middle TN where I am deeply involved, but I've been investing more time with my friend from Remnant Fellowship hoping to show her that she's in a cult. I've had, what seems like to me, little to no success since my friend won't view or read any christian information outside of her "church". I remember meeting a Nurse who got a job at Vanderbilt while visiting Remnant Fellowship. She must have been in her 20s or so. Everything at remnant feels dark as if there was something behind closed doors. There seemed to be a deep void that drained all of my energy. It felt dark, something HAS to be happening that the public doesn't know. I also met Gwen, the best I can describe my experience would be similar to the "GET OUT" movie.
-Middle TN Anon

I need to gain more pounds, thirty ought to do it. Gonna start eating more junk food. There is a fruit pie with my name on it in the kitchen. Munching some kettle potato chips at the moment. I am determined to do what it takes to get healthy and stay that way.

Would you examine your beliefs? I'll acknowledge myself as a heretic.
Now prove me wrong with the Bible not a formulaic word phrase like 'one being in 3 persons.'
Jesus is called the firstborn.
firstborn sons in Genesis and other places in the bible are chosen by God who did not have them born first.
firstborn has nothing to do with birth order.
God did this to show that Jesus was not created.
Luke 9:35 God says Jesus is chosen.
If you read only the King James Bible, Luke 9:35 says Jesus is beloved by God.
This is evidence Trinitarians changed the Bible because Chosen Son is a problematic phrase for them.
If Jesus was chosen, then there was another that was not chosen because God had a choice.
There has to be 2 or more to chose from.
It's only logical.
In the beginning (at creation) Jesus was God, John 1:1.
My belief agrees with John 1:1.
My belief is Jesus was chosen to be God before creation.
Trinitarian belief does not allow Jesus to be chosen.
Unfortunately, this makes Jesus an archangel that was promoted to God (Hebrews 1:8-9 allows for this.)
Unfortunately, Satan wanted to be like God (Isaiah 14:14) in the way that Jesus was chosen but he was rejected.
I am not a Jehovah Witness. Daniel's lord in Daniel 10 and 12 is not Michael.

Remnant theology is closer to what I believe than Trinitarianism.
Why not tolerance for such a confusing issue.
Your sister fails the tolerance test.
We all believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The “counterfeit” is believing that Jesus, God and the Holy Soirit are one in the same being by the way. One holy being but three distinct persons.
The above quote is what Remnant Fellowship objects to from Prairiegirls' post.

The Athanasian Creed written by Athasius as I remember.
You can read it online.
3 persons each being (not Being) a reasonable soul.
A reasonable soul has a mind that can reason or think.
Each person of the Trinity is God and the 3 together are God.

The objection from Remnant misquotes the Creed but their objection may be valid from the way the Trinity is taught in Christian orthodoxy defined as what the church has historically taught.

From the Creed; Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not one Being.
They think separate thoughts and communicate with each other.

The 3 persons are equal since each is God but have distinct roles where the Son and the Spirit are subordinate the Father.

The nature of Christ is He is God with the divine and human natures in union.
The human nature absorbed into the divine not the divine absorbed into the human.
In other words, according to the Creed, Jesus was God. He did not become God.
This also seems to mean that Jesus' human nature did not receive the Holy Spirit according to what I think the Creed means.
Keep in mind that I'm going from my memory.
The quote from the Creed is "not God into man but man into God."
Christ's human nature is subordinate to His Divine nature.
Both natures can operate independently but are in union.

The Chalcedonean Creed affirmed Christ's nature as divine and human and in union.

I skim read Remnant's theology.
Both of you think the other is in a cult.
Compare the Athanasian Creed to Remnant's theology.
If the Athanasian Creed is your standard,. decide who is incorrect.

According to Christian orthodoxy, The Trinity is not one Being.

Enoch, stop abducting this thread, with your poisonous heresy.

This is the family forum. Address her concerns instead. And from what others have posted, it seems like it doesn't hardly matter the theolgy. Her sister is caught in a CULT. Controlling, isolationist, etc.

If this cult was true, they would be out in the open, encouraging their members to read the Bible, to look at Trinitarian material and prove it wrong. Instead, they indoctrinate people and won't let them read any other material. That is the definition of a cult!

Listening to the video sent up many red flags. I would suggest you help your sister try and understand "how we are to hear God not seen". This is through his prescriptions or doctrines so that we can rightly divide His living abiding word according to the loving commandment to study in respect to seeking His approval and not the approval of man seen.

I would not focus on the trinity thingy so much. It will work its self out if we can get the approval thing right?

One loving commandment at a time.

He's not abducting this thread, the OP mentions the trinity....and there's no such thing as a trinity. Trinitarianism is poisonous. Too many people who believe in that man made pagan doctrine condemn people who know better than to believe in it.

I may not fully agree with Enoch, but I can say that I reject the Trinity because Jesus does!

so it's more important to press your doctrine than to help someone in need?

you non-Trinity people seem to miss that one of the things that qualifies a person to identify as Christian, is accepting and believing that the Trinity is a fact

I am aware there are people on this forum who identify otherwise, but that most likely indicates wrong belief and teaching in other ares of scripture

we have the BDF to argue this endlessly

it seems to me to be EXTREMELY selfish and unloving to start up about it here in the family forum

That's because there are alot of extremely selfish and unloving people on this site. :/

this forum can at times be as volatile as the BDF

with more 'opinion' being presented as biblical advice than actual biblical advice

the op has a genuine concern. that should be the focus