Sabbath Saturday: Using the Bible as a Tool for Control & Manipulation

I am going to start with the book of Malachi, a book right before Jesus' arrival.

Purpose: To give evidence that partiality within the teaching of Scripture is not a new concept.

It is not a new phenomenon that some individuals do not teach complete and sound scripture, taking bits and pieces that could fit their own agendas. Priests and non-priests are often called out all throughout the Bible and are warned of the repercussions of doing this, and I chose Malachi to feature because the word spoken is supposed to be the Lord speaking through Malachi, the words spoken are straightforward and without need for interpretation, and the scriptures after it continue to reinforce previous statements made by the Lord through Malachi.

Malachi Chapter 2 (KJV):

1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saiththe LORD of hosts.

5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial* in the law.

Thus, it is no surprise you can find more ministers and priests preaching about hell as a scare tactic or element for control than you can find priests who preach about love and healing. You can find many so-called followers of Christ who are quick to judge and say that you are going to hell or that everything is the devil, than you can find followers of Christ who actually understands the deeper truths of what hell is and who was/is Lucifer (the devil) outside of Hollywood depictions. And you can find many ¨followers of Christ¨ whose work inspires more division than harmony, more illness than healing, a focus on how many people you have in the church rather than how many are actually true followers of the word, more judgement than empathy and more hate than love.

So then, what ARE disciples, followers, ministers of Jesus ACTUALLY called to do & what is the role of the Bible??

Genesis: As a human being, we are called to be fruitful and multiply the Earth, as well as be stewards of the Earth and take care of it. To effectively do this, we are called to honor Yahweh (God) and his commandments through love, patience, practice, peer instruction and repentance to effectively manage this with his mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

As a woman, I am called to do many things, from respecting and honoring my husband, taking care of my household, staying busy, building communities, nurturing and caring for others and my family. Husbands are also called to respect their wives as equals in terms of a human being, the wife being the complementary piece to the household and husband´s decision making. There are also so much more instructions for parents, children, elders...everyone! The Bible even details the roles of evildoers, murderers, thieves. One way I like to read the Bible and use it as a guide for my life is to look at all of my identities and see what I am instructed to do and how to go about doing it. I am a mother to the motherless, I am a child to my Mom and Dad, I am given the role as steward of the Earth, I hope to be a wife someday...It is not enough to simply have these roles but to also understand the responsibilities and duties that come with each is just as significant, each having their own unique place and role in the grand plan of Yahweh´s will.

What about ministers? And where is the scriptural evidence?

Long story short, I have found that we are not called to judge--that position is already taken by the Lord Almighty.

Instead, we are called to love, instruct, and heal. We are called to be available not fix people, that position is already taken by the Lord Almighty. Most wounds, especially mental, emotional, and spiritual (which greatly influences physical wounds) we cannot and will not be able to heal, and we are not called to be the healers who can heal every wound--that position is taken by the Lord Almighty.

I am going to do a whole YouTube - Blog series on the roles of everyone and guidelines according to the Bible, starting next Saturday for a more in-depth look into what the Bible says with relevant scriptures about our roles, and I would hope that you would subscribe to journey along with me every Saturday afternoon. Also, subscribe to our newsletter to get updates about our online spiritual book club and upcoming events (Must have Instagram to join book club online group! Interested in 1:1 assistance on understanding the Bible and how to apply it to your personal life / lifestyle for healing and prosperity? Contact me to book me as your Bible Coach!

*You can find almost any one scripture in the Bible to prove any point you could make. My purpose for writing this post is not to convince you to become a Christian, or generally speaking,a follower of Christ, but I would hope to explore with you what the Bible actually says about a certain topic, with multiple scriptures and historical/cultural context as my evidence instead of one scripture that is taken out of context but proves my point.

And of course, feel free to ask me any questions you may have in the comments below! Let's learn together, and help me to continue learning about my faith. No question is a dumb one.

 ¡VIVA TU VIDA MEJOR (Live your best life)!

Until next time,

Shatoyia, La Princessa de La Paz

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