The Clarion Call to Every Soul: We Must Proclaim Truth Boldly in the Public Square – Salvation by Grace Alone Through Christ by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational

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Dear Reader,

In these shadowed and restless days, when the public square has become a marketplace of glittering lies and the ancient pillars of truth are bartered for the cheap coin of comfort and applause, I offer this rhyme not as mere ornament for the ear, nor as idle verse for the scholar’s shelf, but as a clarion trumpet-call echoing the voices of prophets and apostles long departed.

We stand at the crossroads of eternity. The spirit of this age whispers compromise and silences the bold, yet the Word of the living God thunders still: we are not called to murmur salvation in secret chambers, but to proclaim it unashamedly upon the housetops and in the thoroughfares of men. For every idle word, every withheld witness, and every courageous declaration shall be weighed in the balances of divine justice. The books shall be opened; the Great Assize shall convene; and no soul shall escape the reckoning of what it did with the blood-bought truth of Calvary.

May these measured lines kindle within your breast a holy fire that consumes timidity, sharpen your tongue with the double-edged sword of Scripture, and arm your heart with the unyielding courage of the redeemed. Let them remind you that grace is not cheap, nor is the cross a relic of the past—it is the blazing standard under which we must yet contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.

Go forth, then, not in your own strength, but in the power of the Spirit, lifting high the name above every name while time and mercy still linger.

In solemn service to the King of kings,

The Poet

• Matthew 10:27 — “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”

• Romans 1:16 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”

• Acts 4:12 — “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

• Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

• 2 Corinthians 5:10 — For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

• Revelation 20:12 — And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life…

In public squares where nations throng and gaze,

We must proclaim the truth with trumpet clear;

No shadowed fear, no compromise or haze,

But blazing light for every listening ear.

For every soul shall kneel before the Throne,

Accounted for the seed of word or silence sown;

When heaven’s books are opened and made known,

The Judge demands what reaping we have grown.

The ultimate Truth resounds through time’s long hall:

Salvation flows through Jesus Christ our Lord—

Not human striving, not works however tall,

But sovereign grace by His own wounds outpoured.

So raise the cross where busy crowds collide,

Declare redemption’s anthem far and wide!

To the Persecuted and Suffering Church in Nigeria: A Lament and Song of Hope in the Midst of Tribulation by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational, Persecution

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Luke 12:32

KJV: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

NIV: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

AMP: Do not be afraid and anxious, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Psalm 56:8

KJV: Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

NIV: Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?

AMP: You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not recorded in Your book?

Matthew 16:18

KJV: …upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

NIV: …on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

AMP: …on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it.

From the Poet

Dear Reader,

This poem is written with a heavy yet hopeful heart for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who daily lay down their lives for the name of Christ. I have not walked their path, nor can I fully measure their suffering. I only know that Scripture calls us to “remember those in prison as if you were there with them” (Hebrews 13:3).

May these lines serve as both lament and encouragement — a small mirror held up to their steadfast faith, and a quiet call to the wider Church to pray, to speak, and to stand with them. Their wounds are real. Their hope is surer. One day, on earth or in Heaven’s glory, the world will see their scars transformed into trophies of a victory won not by the sword, but by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

Until that morning breaks, let us hold them before the Father who bottles every tear.

With solemn respect and sisterly love,

The Poet

O steadfast remnant, tempered in the flame

Where Sahel winds bear scimitars of hate,

Thy altars glow though villages lie maimed—

Thy anthems pierce the darkness, undismayed.

In Middle Belt the herdsmen’s shadows fall

Like wolves upon the fold at break of day;

The mother’s final lullaby, the infant’s call,

Are answered only by the heavens’ gray.

Ten thousand spires reduced to ash and bone,

Ten thousand names the world refuses breath;

Yet from that dust a living Seed is sown—

The Christ who wept in Gethsemane draws near,

Counts every crimson drop, each stifled groan,

And whispers, “Little flock, be of good cheer.”

Thy cross is sharp, thy night without a star,

Yet His yoke settles gentle as the dew;

The Lion of Judah paces where you are,

And hell’s own legions cannot conquer you.

Though distant thrones avert their eyes in shame

And trade thy blood for profit sealed in oil,

The Lord of Hosts engraves each hidden name

In lamb’s own blood upon the deathless scroll.

From Jos’s wounded hills to Lagos spires,

Thy witness flares—a constellation pure;

Stephen forgives within thy funeral fires,

Polycarp’s calm endures thy furnace sure.

Rise, suffering vine, though trampled underfoot—

Thy roots draw life from aquifers unseen.

The wine pressed out beneath the heavenly foot

Shall overflow with glory unforeseen.

Cling to the faith the noble martyrs confessed,

The crown of life gleams for thy patient race;

What earthly loss, what tears, what sharp distress

Beside the beauty of His unveiled face?

Be strong, beloved Church—be not afraid.

The Judge descends with justice in His eyes.

Each bottle of thy tears, each price you’ve paid,

Becomes a jewel set in paradise.

Till then shine on, though blood may be thy crown—

The gates of hell shall never take thee down.

When morning breaks—on earth or Heaven’s shore—

Thy God triumphant in thy wounds made whole.

The Herald’s Celestial Fire: An Ornate Proclamation of Scripture’s Perfection, the Godhead’s Glory, and the Urgent Call to Repentance by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational

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Dear Reader,

I cannot be silent.

The same divine compulsion that seized the prophet Jeremiah still burns within the bones of every true herald of the Triune God. It is no mere emotional surge, but a sovereign ignition of the Holy Spirit — that burning fire shut up in the marrow of the soul, weary with restraint and impossible to contain. In a generation steeped in theological compromise, cultural idolatry, and a gospel diluted by human preference, the perfect, inerrant Word of our eternal Father, incarnate Son, and proceeding Spirit demands unashamed proclamation.

This is no abstract orthodoxy. It is the living tension of divine perfections: the holiness that kindles wrath against all ungodliness, the justice that demands satisfaction for treason against the Creator, and the mercy that flows from the riven side of the crucified Lamb. Here, at the cross, wrath and mercy kiss in substitutionary atonement — the Father crushing His beloved Son under the full weight of cosmic justice, so that sinners might be declared righteous by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The inner-rant is thus both judgment and invitation: a holy violence against the rebel heart, clothed in the tenderness that pleads, “Turn! Why will you die?”

This poem is my feeble attempt to echo that prophetic fire — not as ornament for the ear, but as a thunderclap from the sapphire throne. It weaves the inerrancy of Scripture, the sovereignty of the Godhead, the urgency of escaping the second death, and the triumphant hope of resurrection life. May it stir within you the same unresting zeal: to speak with boldness and conviction, yet always bathed in the love that sent the Son to bear the cup of wrath we deserved.

We cannot be silent. Souls hang suspended between eternal glory and eternal perdition. The Kingdom advances through voices unashamed. Repent, believe the Gospel, and join the heralds before the Day of the Lord dawns.

For the glory of the Father, the exaltation of the risen Lamb, and the powerful working of the Spirit —

The Poet

Jeremiah 20:9 (ESV)

If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

Romans 1:16 (ESV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…

In triune sapphire throne where Three shine One—

Ancient of Days enthroned on crystal sea,

The slaughtered Lamb whose wounds outshine the sun,

The rushing Wind that sets the prophet free—

Mercy awakens holy inner-tide,

A seraph’s coal upon the trembling lip,

A furnace veiled in flesh, a burning bride,

That storms the gates of death with thunderous grip.

Not silken phrases honeyed for the snake,

But living oracles, a lightning blade

That cleaves the marrow, rends the veiled heart awake,

And drags to blazing light the sins long laid.

Like Sinai’s crown of flame on trembling peak,

It thunders “Thus saith I AM!” through kings’ halls,

While mercy, robed in blood, begins to speak

And shatters rebel thrones with trumpet calls.

As Jeremiah’s bones became a blaze

No mortal vessel could contain or tame,

So mercy storms the dungeon of our days,

With courage forged in love’s eternal flame.

Conviction rolls like cherubim’s four wings,

Yet from the riven side sweet mercy streams—

A crimson river where the sinner clings,

While heaven’s justice and compassion gleams.

The flawless Word, more pure than gold refined,

More fixed than Zion’s mount or starry choir,

Upholds the wheeling galaxies aligned

And every soul beneath the Judge’s fire.

No jot shall fade, no tittle ever fall,

Though heaven and earth dissolve in final roar;

Its granite truth outlasts the siren’s call

And breaks the chains of death forevermore.

O inner fire, Ezekiel’s whirlwind throne,

A coal from off the altar’s glowing hearth,

It bursts the iron mouth, the heart of stone,

And summons corpses from the grave of wrath.

God’s wrath is holy—white, devouring light,

Not petty storm but cosmic justice pure,

Yet on the altar’s wood of darkest night

The Lamb absorbs the blaze and makes it sure.

There wrath and mercy kiss in wounds divine,

The Father’s pleasure crushing His own Son;

The Spirit seals the pardon with a sign—

The risen Lion, slaughtered, now the One.

With Peter’s voice like rushing mighty wind,

With Stephen’s countenance as angel-flame,

The herald lifts the cross through scorn and din,

That rebels might escape the wrath to come.

No terror of the crowd, no iron chain,

Can quench the love that risks eternal shame;

For every soul plucked from the second pain

Becomes a living trophy to His Name.

Thus mercy speaks—unflinching, robed in tears—

The blameless Word in whirlwind and in plea:

“Repent! Believe! The Kingdom’s gate appears!”

Flee wrath, and reign with Christ eternally.

From Dust and Frailty to the Gem-Studded Garments of Salvation: A Hymn of Divine Clothing and Holy Awe by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational, Pleasing God Not Man, Royally Redeemed, salvation, Thanksgiving, Triumphant

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Note to the Reader from the Poet

Dear Reader,

In the quiet tension between creaturely frailty and divine generosity, this hymn was conceived. We stand perpetually before the paradox Scripture never lets us escape: we are dust — fragile, fleeting, marked by the fractures of original and ongoing sin — and yet the same Creator who fashioned us from the ground now stoops to array that very dust in garments of celestial splendor.

The poem does not merely celebrate a theological idea; it traces a transformative arc that mirrors the gospel itself. From the scattering wind of Psalm 103:14 and the weakness confessed in 2 Corinthians 12:9, through the empowering mercy of Isaiah 40 and the jeweled bridal splendor of Isaiah 61:10, it presses toward the astonishing promise of 2 Peter 1:4 — that we might become partakers of the divine nature. Each stanza is an act of remembrance and aspiration: remembering our low estate so that we might more fully adore the height of His condescension.

The gem-studded robe is no ornamental fancy. It is the righteousness of Christ, woven on heaven’s loom, encrusted with the blood-red ruby of atonement, the sapphire depths of unfailing grace, the emerald hope of resurrection life, and the diamond fire of covenant fidelity. To wear it is to walk in holy servanthood — yoked yet free, bowed yet exalted, weak yet wielding uncreated light.

May these lines not merely be read, but prayed. Speak them slowly in your secret place. Let the weight of your own dust press you deeper into the mercy that clothes you. Let the imagery carry you past sentiment into awe — speechless, trembling, joyful awe — before the throne where the Lamb slain stands worthy.

For the God who remembers we are dust has never forgotten us. He has clothed us instead, and called us His own.

With bowed heart and lifted eyes,

The Poet

Scriptural Foundation

Psalm 103:14 – We are dust

KJV: “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

NIV: “For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”

AMP: “For He knows our [mortal] frame; He remembers that we are [merely] dust.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 – Strength in weakness

KJV: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

NIV: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

AMP: “But He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.’”

Isaiah 40:29 – Power to the faint

KJV: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

NIV: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

AMP: “He gives strength to the weary, And to him who has no might He increases power.”

Isaiah 61:10 – Garments of salvation and robe of righteousness

KJV: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

NIV: “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

AMP: “I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

2 Peter 1:4 – Partakers of the divine nature

KJV: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…”

NIV: “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature…”

AMP: “For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may… become sharers of the divine nature.”

O Lord, we are but dust the wind may strew,

Frail clay unformed, by sin’s dark tempest torn,

Yet from Thy throne where living mercies dew,

Thy hand descends — and we, once lost, are born.

Thy strength, a flame that leaps through shadowed veins,

Arrays our tatters in celestial white;

The yoke of holy service gently reigns,

And lifts the bowed to wield unyielding light.

No more the slave beneath the fleshly rod,

We stand enrobed in righteousness divine —

A garment vast, by heaven’s own shuttle shod,

With jewels blazing where Thy glories shine.

See rubies red as covenantal blood,

Sapphires deep as oceans of Thy grace;

Emeralds green with hope’s eternal flood,

And pearls like tears that washed the sinner’s face.

Amethysts of awe crown every seam,

Diamonds of pardon flash with sovereign fire;

Upon the hem where healing virtues stream,

The living waters spark in ceaseless choir.

Before Thy throne we bow, in dust made bold,

Adoring hearts too vast for tongue to tell;

In speechless awe Thy righteousness behold,

And join the ransomed in their triumph swell.

Though dust we be, and frailty our first name,

Thy servant-power makes kings of earthen clods;

Clad in salvation’s jewel-woven flame,

We rise, redeemed — partakers of our God.

Glory to the Lamb who clothes the lost!

Delight in the Royally Redeemed: A Poetic Meditation on Psalm 16 and the Royal Priesthood of Believers by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational

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Psalm 16:3-4 (KJV)

As for the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

Psalm 16:3-4 (NIV)

I say of the holy people who are in the land,

“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods

or take up their names on my lips.

Psalm 16:3-4 (AMP)

As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land,

They are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen another god will be multiplied [because of their idolatry];

I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,

Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 (AMP)

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A CONSECRATED NATION, A [special] PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Dear Reader,

In the quiet tension between ancient covenant and present exile, this poem was born—not as mere ornament, but as an act of re-seeing. Psalm 16 unveils a profound paradox: the psalmist’s delight is not first in abstract divinity, but in the concrete, embodied community of the saints—those majestic, noble, and excellent ones who bear the scars and splendor of redemption. When Peter later declares us a royal priesthood, he does not invent a new identity; he unfolds what David glimpsed. The “royally redeemed” are no romantic ideal. They are flesh-and-blood bearers of divine kingship, purchased at infinite cost, set apart amid a world that still bows to bloodless yet deadly idols: power, spectacle, self, certainty, distraction.

To delight in them is an act of spiritual resistance and profound joy. It is to choose the excellent over the easy, the rooted cedar over the fleeting vine, the star-cluster of holy kinship over the isolated glow of false gods. The poem lingers in this tension because our age multiplies sorrows precisely where David warned—through frantic pursuit of lesser loves that promise everything and deliver chains. Yet in the company of the royally redeemed, sorrow is transfigured; majesty emerges not despite the storm but through it.

May these lines invite you not only to admire beauty, but to inhabit it—to recognize your own royal bearing, to cleave to the noble ones around you, and to refuse, with quiet defiance, every name that would steal your tongue and heart. In their light, we taste already the Kingdom that is coming, where delight is no longer contested but complete.

With reverence for the Word and wonder at the saints,

The Poet

In realms where covenantal glory gleams,

The royally redeemed arise in splendor bright,

As ancient cedars robed in heaven’s light,

Majestic pillars carved by sovereign hands.

Noble in bearing, excellent in grace,

They stand as jewels upon the sacred crown,

A royal priesthood, ransomed from the night,

In whom the psalmist’s deepest joys abound.

Their footsteps trace the paths of covenant love,

Like rivers carving valleys rich with life;

Redeemed by blood far purer than the stain

Of idol altars drenched in crimson rite.

He sees their worth as stars in clustered throng,

A holy nation bathed in royal hue,

Excellent souls whose light dispels the gloom,

And draws his heart in glad, unwavering tune.

Yet swift the shadows claim the errant soul

Who hastens after gods of dust and gold;

Their sorrows swell as tempests rend the plain,

Like thorns that choke the once-fertile field.

He turns from crimson cups that bleed for naught,

Nor lifts their shadowed names upon his tongue,

Lest chains of darkness bind the spirit’s flight

And mar the royal song of true delight.

O royally redeemed, majestic band,

You shine as beacons on the pilgrim’s way—

Noble in trial, excellent in faith,

A fellowship where living waters play.

Through tempests fierce and valleys veiled in shade,

Your rooted strength upholds the chosen few;

The psalmist cleaves to you with steadfast gaze,

Where truth endures and grace forever reigns.

Thus blooms the ancient verse in timeless fire,

A hymn to loyalty’s unyielding flame:

The heart that rests in holy kin refined

Rejects the hollow lure of fleeting fame.

In you, O royally redeemed and bright,

Majestic, noble, excellent and true,

The singer finds his purest, holiest light—

A foretaste of the Kingdom ever new.

What the Lord Truly Requires: Loving Mercy That Embraces Truth, Rejects Deception, and Calls All to Eternal Redemption by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational, Royally Redeemed, salvation, Spiritual Warfare, Triumphant

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Micah 6:8 (KJV)

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Micah 6:8 (AMP)

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overconfident trust in your own power]?

Ephesians 4:15 (KJV)

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

Ephesians 4:15 (AMP)

But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example], who is the Head—Christ.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 (AMP)

The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Ezekiel 33:11 (KJV)

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

John 8:32 (KJV)

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 14:6 (KJV)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 (KJV)

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Beloved reader, true mercy is no shallow sentiment or convenient silence that shields the soul from holy confrontation. It is the profound fusion of unflinching truth and unwavering love, the very heartbeat of the Divine requirement laid bare in Micah 6:8. To love mercy is not to soften justice or dilute conviction, but to wield truth as a surgeon’s blade—cutting away deception so that real healing and restoration may emerge. It echoes the apostle’s call to speak the truth in love, maturing us into Christ Himself, while reflecting the Father’s longsuffering heart that desires none to perish but all to embrace repentance and life.

In this sacred tension, mercy refuses the lie of false tolerance that leaves sinners slumbering toward destruction; instead, it shines the unyielding light of Christ—the Way, the Truth, and the Life—inviting every heart to freedom, transformation, and eternal communion with God. It yearns for God’s highest good for all: not mere happiness, but salvation, holiness, and humble fellowship with the Creator. May these verses and the lines that follow stir within you a deeper hunger to embody this costly, redemptive mercy: courageous enough to confront, compassionate enough to restore, and Christ-centered enough to point always toward the cross where justice and mercy kissed.

What doth the Lord require, O mortal man?

To do justly, love mercy’s truthful hand,

And walk humbly where His footsteps ran—

For mercy speaks the truth, yet takes its stand.

Not soft deceit that lets the sinner sleep,

But light that wounds to heal, and calls to rise;

True mercy longs for all God’s best to keep—

Salvation’s gift, where grace and justice rise.

He wills not one should perish in the night,

But turns to life through truth that sets us free;

Compassion clothes the soul in heaven’s light,

And bids the lost: “Come home and live in Me.”

Thus mercy, truth, and humble faith entwine—

The path of life, the will of the Divine

Be Like the Bereans – Testing Every Word Against Eternal Truth by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational, Pleasing God Not Man, Royally Redeemed, Spiritual Warfare

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Dear Reader,

In a world loud with opinions, quick answers, and shallow soundbites, the ancient Bereans stand as a quiet, shining rebuke. They did not swallow teaching whole simply because it came from an apostle’s lips. Instead, they opened the Scriptures daily with eager, honest hearts and tested every claim against the unchanging truth of God’s Word.

This poem is my humble invitation for you to join their noble company. May these verses stir in you a fresh hunger—not for mere knowledge, but for verified, living truth. Faith is never meant to be blind; it is meant to be examined, rooted, and radiant.

Wherever you are on your journey, I pray you will dare to be Berean. Open the Book. Test the words. Seek until you find. The treasure is worth every diligent hour.

With hope and prayer,

The Poet

Acts 17:11

KJV (King James Version):

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

NIV (New International Version):

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

AMP (Amplified Bible):

Now these people were more noble and open-minded than those in Thessalonica, so they received the message [of salvation through faith in the Christ] with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

ESV (English Standard Version):

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

In ancient Berea, where wisdom held sway,

A noble folk gathered at break of each day.

Not swift to believe what the preacher proclaimed,

But eager they listened, their hearts unashamed.

With scrolls unrolled under the sun’s golden light,

They tested each word against truth’s holy might.

No blind faith for them, no mere echo or guess—

They searched the old writings with diligent press.

More noble than those in Thessalonica’s throng,

Who heard without proving, and wandered along.

O seeker today, let your spirit arise—

Be noble like them: test all claims with clear eyes!

Will you open the Scriptures with zeal every morn,

Examine each teaching till truth is reborn?

Dare to be Berean—make faith a pursuit,

Or drift with the crowd in untested dispute?

The Sovereign Stirring of the Remnant Spirits: A Classical Ode on Haggai 1:14 and the Triune God’s Call to Holy Labor in These Latter Days by Debbie Harris

04 Thursday Jun 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational

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bible, Biblical Truth, Christian, Christian Poetry, holy-spirit, hope, Inpirational, Inspirational, jesus, jesus-christ, Poetry, Praise, salvation, worship

Dear Reader,

A note from the poet:

In the quiet hours when the words of Haggai fell fresh upon my heart, I saw not merely ancient stones rising again in Jerusalem, but the living temple of every soul stirred by the same unchanging God. This ode is born of wonder—that the Triune God still moves with sovereign breath today, awakening slumbering zeal and turning weary hands to holy labor. May these lines be no mere verse, but a mirror and a trumpet: look within, listen closely, and answer the stirring.

The same Spirit who roused Zerubbabel and Joshua waits to rouse you.

With reverence and hope,

The Poet

Haggai 1:14

King James Version (KJV)

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.

English Standard Version (ESV)

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.

New International Version (NIV)

So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.

New King James Version (NKJV)

When Cyrus’ edict opened prison gates

And remnant trod the long Judean road,

Yet sloth and cedar-paneled homes await

While Zion’s holy house in ruin showed—

Then rose the prophet’s voice like trumpet blast:

“Consider well your ways!” The people heard.

Obedience kindled, yet the work stood fast

Till sovereign breath descended, undeterred.

The Lord Himself stirred up Zerubbabel’s fire,

And Joshua the priest, and every heart

Of those who lingered in the dust and briar—