[363]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DON’T FOLLOW AND BE AWARE

This is a corrupt world and I think that is the general consensus among people, though the non-believers see some things differently. Jesus said something once that is hard to put into practice. {{Matthew 10:16-17 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. BEWARE OF MEN for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues.”}}

As we view the world we see Christians being delivered up, particularly in African nations and in the Middle East. As I write this, there is another mass killing of Christians in Iran (April 2026) from Satan’s ruthless regime.

Jesus asked us to be both shrewd and innocent. That is most difficult. Christians are not cunning people, but we are to be discerning and ALERT. We are not to avenge ourselves.

Do we get taken down? Yes, and I have been taken down recently by tradesmen and by AMAZON. It is hard to live in a deceitful world when men openly lie to your face, and so many are motivated by greed.

Consider this verse – {{Luke 16:8 “His master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly, for THE SONS OF THIS AGE ARE MORE SHREWD in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.”}}. Christians are naïve – a good thing – but we live in a world of cunning, manipulative, evil people. The world is full of deception that grows worse as the end of the age approaches.

This poem says two things. We DON’T FOLLOW and WE MUST BE AWARE. I know from practical experience that we can get caught up, caught out, and caught in a net of men’s evil. However the Spirit of God gives us wisdom and we need to follow that.

The poem gives 12 examples of the world’s beliefs and behaviour and use 12 people’s names to make that point. I hope no one is offended if you have one of the names mentioned. I don’t refer to you! ?. Not at all, because I am assuming Christians are reading this.

The rest of the poem (the 4 line stanzas) is speaking with Christians about the reality of the world and encouraging them to stand for the truth. {{1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM BECAUSE GREATER IS HE WHO IS IN YOU THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.”}}

In that great intercessory prayer Jesus asked this – {{John 17:14-16 “I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”}}

I hope you like the poem. God bless all and keep us all in His love and care.

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DON’T FOLLOW AND BE AWARE

Don’t follow Jake the fake, who supports evolution.

Don’t follow Claude the fraud, who holds to gender revolution.

Don’t follow Don the con, who believes in climate change.

Don’t follow Tony the phony, for your money he’d rearrange.

Don’t follow Brooke the crook, who wants your finance to invest.

Don’t follow Pete the cheat, whose sole aim is his own interest.

Don’t follow Minogue the rogue, who cheats you on house renovations and electrical work.

Don’t follow Kate the reprobate, who denies biblical miracles and God’s handiwork.

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Be aware of Mark the shark, who works with business and real estate.

Be aware of Diller the killer, whose abortion lust will not abate.

Be aware of Foster the imposter, who claims a Christian walk.

Be aware of Cranmer the scammer, adept at cunning talk.

Be aware of Linda the swindler, whose feminism cheats women.

Be aware of Richter the trickster, whose lies say men can marry men.

Be aware of Pam the sham, who tells you of her dreadful life, but she deceives and lies.

Be aware of Datletan the charlatan, who acts as Pastor but is really a wolf in sheep’s disguise.

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We met twelve people along the way.

They typify this sinful earth;

Participants of this world’s decay,

Who validate what sin is worth.

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Those names were chosen to make a point

Not to offend, but to reveal

The earth’s true state, with each name a joint,

As in a body, what is real.

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Disobedience from just one act

Of Adam and Eve who transgressed,

Became the seed whose great impact

Were multiplied sins that progressed.

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So through the human race, ev’ry part

Produced in man, sinful desire.

Darker and darker became man’s heart,

And to sinfulness, men aspire.

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Sin is lawlessness; deceptive guise.

This prince and power of the air,

His activity is no surprise;

Deluding garments, he will wear.

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Jake and Claude and Linda and Don –

Some people we have just considered;

Their spiritual reason gone;

Dead in their humanism, withered.

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Liberal teaching and wicked WOKE

Are now captivating men’s souls.

Satan has the minds of many folk;

His errors, his misleading goals.

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Christians, be aware, always on guard.

The devil’s deception is great.

Your witness he will kill or retard,

Because his cause is filled with hate.

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People follow those of lying tongue,

And race after deceptive voice.

By their cunning errors, truth is hung.

Then the demonic hosts rejoice.

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Don’t follow what is evil and wrong,

But gird yourself with truth and sight.

Be aware; be on your guard; and strong.

Not misled, but for truth you fight!

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27-29 March 2026 Ronald Ferguson Metre = Irregular, and 9-8-9-8

Rhyme = AABB etc. for 16 lines, and thereafter ABAB