Part 1

Ere the foundation of the earth was laid (Revelation 13:8)
A plan of safety was also made,
Ought anything go wrong with man, formed in God’s likeness there and then (Genesis 1:26).
Christ, the Creator pledged Himself to take the blow
To bear the guilt and penalty, to suffer death and untold woe (Revelation 13:8).…
Alas, the fateful day, when Eve and Adam sinned (Genesis 3:6),
A shadow fell upon the new creation – the angels ceased to sing,
All Heaven was in consternation, bewailing Adam, Eve for their transgression,
A cause for mournful lamentation…
Departing from God’s holy law, they were beguiled, bewitched to eat the fruit
Forbidden, gaining nothing but be cursed and hidden (v. 16–19),
From the presence of the One to whom they owed their lives,
for giving heed to baffling, deadly lies.
Then Christ upon the sinners with great pity gazed, they did not conceive
The magnitude of the offence, what the bite of this peculiar fruit did render,
How with great struggle God, the Father would surrender, giving Christ His Son beloved,
as their Substitute (Genesis 3:15) at the time appointed, as Messiah the Anointed
to be the Antidote for death and sin, offering His life – Salvation and eternal life to win.

………………

The curse pronounced on man and earth changed bliss to sorrow, joy to toil, thorns and thistles
to encounter, and sin’s dark fruit of pain and grief, and then at last – death to man and beast.
The air so pure, so mild, an alien chill befell, where did it come from, who can tell?
A strange intruder forced his way, invading nature, all the earth,
its creatures and the souls of men.
Wily, wicked, ruthless usurped Adam’s kingdom, snatched from him through smart disguise,
promising to make one wise, by eating the forbidden fruit in Paradise (Genesis 3:5),
uttered by the serpent’s guileful voice.
Who is he so cunningly, could get the victory, that man fell in his power,
in that one so immense deceptive hour?
It was Lucifer, the mighty cherub, once all glorious in wisdom, beauty, brightness, honour, admiration,
strangely changed demeanor, disposition.
Pride crept in his heart, mysterious ambitions, coveting the place of Christ – to be like God –
with freedom from God’s law he would govern Heaven so much better – without the letter – so he thought…
Shrewd, with masterful perfection he succeeded to entice, with vice deluding angels,
that a third consented to his scheme to the extreme, arose and then rebelled
(Revelation 12:7) and in all Heaven war broke loose.
They were cast out (v. 8), banished from all bliss and light, eternal condemnation
now their plight; Lucifer, now Satan, with his crew, became the host of darkness,
demons, devils, wicked, evil too.

Purity turned vile, holiness to guile, love to hate, brightness into darkness.
Sinister, mysterious a transformation this mighty angel manifested, when from all innocence divested
iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:12–15).
His inflated self had lofty aspiration, to rise above the honorable position
as cherub covering the throne of God on high, craved for himself that throne –
be like the Most High…
Created holy, wise, and glorious, all had become obnoxious,
Adverse in every trait he was before, now mind and conduct rotten to the core,
He became the enemy to his Creator (Christ).
Satan works with might to distort the character of God – that He let the sinner feel His rod
of wrath to punish with eternal torment, instilling thus the more estrangement,
and most of all blame the God of love and mercy, for all the suffering upon the earth,
while all the while, he, Satan is afflicting all the creatures, men and beasts with diabolic mirth…
His aim is to gain the trust of man, mingling truth with error so he can,
Most cleverly ensnare and blind the mind not firmly grounded in the word of God,
not to discern the fatal spell of hell, and be found, on Satan’s lethal, soul destroying ground.
For this he uses unconverted men to do his bidding, eager, willing, preach a gospel
laced with lies by his satanic vice: once saved, always saved, no need for overcoming sin,
nor keeping God’s Commandments, for Jesus nailed them to the cross, thus men will not suffer loss,
but enjoying sermons suiting itchy ears, void of cares once a judgment
must be met, thus millions being caught in the Devil’s net.

…………………….

But his hatred most severe is cast upon the true, sincere, who follow Christ
to give Him glory, through faith, obedience, striving against sin and folly.
This enrages Satan to great fury, he cannot stand that they are wholly
Surrendering their life to Him, who shed His blood for them.
Be His witnesses to tell to men this wicked world is not their home,
that Jesus Christ is calling all to come
to the knowledge of God’s love and truth that alone in Jesus is salvation found,
standing by His Righteousness on eternal, solid ground.
Satan’s demonic craft acts tirelessly, highly successfully,
disrupting harmony among God’s people; stirs up jealousy, distrust between the brethren,
or lording over those they are in charge, destroying unity, brotherly love,
scattering the precious flock of Christ their Rock,
that His high priestly prayer to be one (John 17) may linger on, and on, and on….
For the love and unity among the brethren will hasten Christ’s second Advent.
This the Evil One most dreads, therefore desperately labours, to prevent for years
this sin- and evil ending, but Redemption bringing, magnificent and glorious event.
He also makes God’s people sleep, that there is time for overcoming sin,
But this makes Christ and angels weep, you may not see tomorrow, thus be keen and follow
to work out salvation with great fear and trembling, before the hours of God’s grace are crumbling,
you be found wanting reflecting in your life, Christ’s righteousness, and void of love and faithfulness.

End of Part 1. To be continued

Edda Tedford, Canada