The Devil You Don’t Know: A Warning and a Teaching PART I

Rev. Dr. Melinda Contreras-Byrd, Contributing Writer

Before Trump took office, I was invited to speak at an annual national black clergy gathering at Princeton University. At that time, I could not have imagined those events coming to pass throughout the world and in the United States of America! I could not have imagined that a man with such a negative history could be elected president of the United States! I could not have imagined the litany of black unarmed people who would be killed by police fire.

I was shocked and disillusioned to find that professing Christians of major denominations were backing an avowed racist, sexist, and scoundrel as a leader, as one they declared was “sent by God!”

As I prepared for my presentation, searching scriptures and prayerfully listening, the Holy Spirit repeatedly led me to examine evil, although I could not see the relevance. Nevertheless, I began a study of the works of evil in juxtaposition to mental health issues, specifically psychopathy and sociopathy. I read books and papers by social scientists, theologians, and Christian counselors.

The words I was to speak at that conference became a warning from God, “This is a time of great shift, a mighty revision is coming, and we need to get prepared to transform and be transformed.”

Never having imagined myself as a modern-day prophet, I was very reticent to speak these words. Nevertheless, not only did I speak these words at the conference but also, I felt a lead to share this information with other Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color (BIPOC) Christians. Finally, these musings culminated in my first published book, The Great Shift Psycho-spiritual Manual for Surviving and Transformation in the Trump Era.

Service Is All in the Name

Robbie Colson-Ramsey, Contributing Writer

Recently Morris Brown College had its homecoming celebration. My husband and I are proud graduates of the institution, so we decided to Uber down to campus. When we jumped in the car, we heard a local funeral home commercial declaring that “their name means service.” Have you ever stopped and thought about that for a moment? Your name is your bond, and your bond is your name. As a child, our parents taught us not to bring dishonor to our family name. People often know your name before they know you as a person. Your name does mean service.

When you, as a spouse, have committed your life to a person who leads a flock, your name quickly becomes synonymous with that person’s service. A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word. The synonym for 1st lady/gentleman is selfless service. When spouses become 1st lady and 1st gentlemen, they choose a

As I began writing, a myriad of unusual computer issues began to surface. The editor and I repeatedly found that what he received and what I sent were not the same! For the first time, my computer persisted in switching to a foreign language. Then, upon returning home one evening, we found our mudroom infested with hordes of flies. Next, I had to re-call the exterminator because my daughter’s bedroom was besieged by wasps. The exterminator compared this to the ten biblical plagues because of the oddity and number of insects–especially in the winter. Shortly after, we returned home to find the framed diplomas in my office on the floor. Upon close inspection, the push pins they had hung on were severed in half–one part still in the wall! Only my office had been affected. An investigation disclosed no quake or other incident that would have shaken our house enough to cause this—and only in this room?

I struggled to complete my book. God was speaking that we were entering a “time of great shift,” when the powers of darkness would rise in ways that should be evident to those who were people of God’s kingdom. This was a time for spiritual discernment. This was a time to acquaint ourselves with the many faces of evil so that we could wage a counter attack—for the kingdom—using “weapons of warfare that are not carnal but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds.” (Please spend some time translating these words into action in your life ministry).

Words of Education for Meditation

The works of darkness are often mistaken for human psychological struggles. Some people can even be born without the moral compass that dissuades them from doing mean or even evil things. Their reason is that people are there to be useful to them. They do evil --but it doesn’t make them evil. There are limits to their evil deeds and, at times, a desire to repent and control this behavior.

They may see evil as the wisest and best option.

They are sociopaths or psychopaths. They are not evil. They do evil.

The frightening truth is that there are people who become taken over by evil.

They are thrilled by the anguish of others. They lack a conscience that would stop them from exercising evil plans. They lack the basic human feelings of connection and empathy most people have. Therefore, they target the church, which represents God, and the people whose goals of love, forgiveness, and unity they see as a weakness, making God’s people easy to take advantage of and manipulate.

So I warn you–evil quotes scripture. Evil comes to church. Evil plots to rise to leadership in Christian organizations to defame, destroy the faith of the faithful, and take all that it can–money, innocence, property, and more.

So study to recognize evil in your midst. This is the time! ❏ ❏ ❏

------------------- life synonymous with service. The idea of giving to others for the rest of your marriage, sharing your family with the church, and never being able to go on a spontaneous weekend rendezvous because our spouses work every Sunday. This sharing is the ugly part of service, the stories that no one ever shares. But, I have found my strength for service by studying the book of Luke, and I particularly meditate on Luke 10:38.

1. M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie. Touchstone Publication, 1985.

2. Martha Stout, The Sociopath Next Door. Harmony Publications, 2006.

3. Randal Rauser, “Shred as Snakes: The Psychopath and the Christian.”The Christian Post, May 30th, 2018.

4. Melinda Contreras-Byrd, The Great Shift Psychospiritual Manual for Survival and Transformation in the Trump Era. Cambridge Scholars Press, 2020.

These keys have provided me with great direction. As a pastor’s spouse:

1. You must have a welcoming heart for service. When you are called to serve, you should be willing to do so without issue. Truthfully, people can feel you are unwilling to serve. Helping others creates a spirit of thanksgiving and lets you know that you are an extension of Jesus. When you are reluctant to serve, you are blocking your blessing.

2. You must stop hearing and start listening. I know you are asking yourself the difference between hearing and listening. Hearing happens involuntarily, while listening is something you choose to do. We must be intentional when listening to people; often, listening leads to learning. We usually do not listen to the needs of the people who have entrusted us with their spiritual needs and growth. In your daily walk with people, make listening a verb and be intentional about fully listening to people.

3. You must not be so distracted by life that you forget God is in the blessing business. You are busy, you work a full-time job, and you have to take the children to sporting events and different activities, on top of being a wife who is married to a pastor. You have every right to be and get distracted, but do not be so distracted by life that you miss your miracle. ❏ ❏ ❏