The Two-Edged Word: Refusing the Counterfeit Gospel in the Laodicean Hour by Debbie Harris

19 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christ-centered poetry, Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Inspirational, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Luke warm, Royally Redeemed, Spiritual Warfare, The curse of being luke warm

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Poet’s Note

I wrote The Unbowed Counsel in the shadow of the prophets and apostles, conscious that the Church stands at a perilous hour much like Laodicea—lukewarm, rich in self-deception, yet wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:14–22). The poem is no mere literary exercise; it is a lamentation and a trumpet blast drawn from the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

At its core burns the tension that modern sensibilities most dislike: the coincidentia oppositorum of divine attributes—the terrifying holiness of the Judge and the astonishing tenderness of the Saviour in one Triune God. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29; Deuteronomy 4:24) is not metaphor but reality; yet the same fire kindled the bush that was not consumed (Exodus 3) and was poured out upon the Son so that mercy might triumph over judgment (James 2:13). To excise either pole is to preach another gospel (Galatians 1:6–9).

The “anodynes of ease” are the opiates of therapeutic religion—smooth words that soothe the conscience without slaying the old man (Romans 6:6). They echo the false prophets who cried “Peace, peace” when there was no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; Ezekiel 13), offering a crossless grace that costs nothing and therefore redeems nothing. True grace, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once warned, is costly because it cost God the blood of His Son. It demands repentance (metanoia—a total turning), mortification of sin, and conformity to the crucified and risen Christ.

The structure moves deliberately from diagnosis (the counterfeit gospel) through confrontation (the unbowed Word) to doxology (the mystery of wrath and mercy meeting at the cross). Every image is soaked in Scripture: the two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), the winepress (Isaiah 63:3; Revelation 19:15), the midnight cry (Matthew 25:6), the fan in the Judge’s hand (Matthew 3:12), the garments dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13), and the final trumpet that shall raise the dead and bow every knee (1 Corinthians 15:52; Philippians 2:10–11).I have chosen elevated, archaic-tinged diction not for ornament but for gravity—to echo the King James cadence that shaped the English-speaking Church for centuries. The poem refuses the therapeutic and the sentimental because the Bible refuses them. It insists that the same Lion who will roar in judgment is the Lamb who was slain. Only those who tremble at His Word (Isaiah 66:2) will find refuge beneath His wings.

If the lines wound, let them wound unto healing.

If they offend, let the offense be the offense of the cross (Galatians 5:11).

For in the end, there is no other Name, no other Gospel, and no other way to stand in that Day than clothed in the righteousness of Another.

Soli Deo gloria.
— The Poet

The Two-Edged Word & Power of Scripture

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Revelation 1:16
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Lukewarm / Laodicean Church & Counterfeit Gospel

Revelation 3:15-17
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Jeremiah 6:14
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Holiness, Judgment & the Fear of God

Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Malachi 3:2
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.

Call to Repentance & Awakening

Acts 17:30-31
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Revelation 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Full Counsel of God

Acts 20:27
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.Wrath & Mercy at the CrossRomans 3:25-26
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 11:22
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Psalm 85:10
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

O Age of silken sermons, honeyed lies,
Where pulpits peddle anodynes of ease—
A Christ recast in pastel sympathies,
Who never thunders, never wounds to heal.
Thy gospel is a mirror, bright and bland,
Reflecting back the self in flattering light;
No Sinai-smoke, no blood upon the lintel,
No narrow gate, no terror of the Night.

Yet stands the Word, undimmed, a two-edged blade,
That pierces joints and marrow, soul and spirit.
The Holy One whose eyes are flames of fire
Beholds the heart’s deep treachery unbidden.
“Be holy, for I AM,” the thunder cries
From burning bush through prophets’ scalding lips,
From Calvary’s cry to Patmos’ rolling skies—
The Judge who weighs the nations in His fist.

Where is the preaching that makes sinners quake?
The hammer on the rock of stony pride?
The arrow sharp that finds the conscience’ wake
And drives the soul, undone, to Christ’s pierced side?
Instead they chant of “journeys,” “best life now,”
Of love that never grieves, of wrath long dead.
A cross without its scandal, without its vow:
“Take up and follow”—or be spewed instead.

Awake, thou slumbering watchman on the wall!
The Bridegroom comes at midnight unawares.
His fan is in His hand; the chaff shall fall;
His winepress trod alone, His garments fair
With blood of grapes and blood of rebel kings.
No plea of culture, context, or of “grace”
Shall stay the sentence when the trumpet rings
And every hidden thing finds its true place.

Yet in that blaze of unrelenting light
Shines mercy’s mystery, deeper than the sea:
The Lamb once slain stands risen, robed in white,
Whose wounds cry louder than Golgotha’s plea.
He bore the cup thou couldst not taste and live;
He drank the dregs of wrath reserved for thee.
Repent—O ragged, ruined, ransomed slave—
And rise, clothed in His righteousness, set free.

This is the Gospel whole, unmaimed, untamed:
Both Judge most terrible and Saviour mild.
It slays the old man, burns away the stained,
Then quickens dust to glory undefiled.
Let modern prophets tremble, scribes grow pale;
Let soft assemblies hear the ancient roar.
The Lion of Judah breaks the seven seals—
Prepare thy soul. The Judge stands at the door.

He comes. He comes.
And every knee shall bow.

Closing Prayer

O Holy and Terrible God, consuming Fire and Wounded Lamb, we come trembling yet bold through the blood of the Lamb. Forgive us for peddling anodynes of ease while Thy two-edged Word lies sheathed. We have grown lukewarm and called it grace. Awaken us, pierce our hearts, and grant us godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Raise up faithful voices who will declare the whole counsel of God without shame. Clothe us in the righteousness of Christ alone. Let the Lion of Judah roar again through Thy Church, that when Thou appearest we may lift up our heads in joy and not be ashamed. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and first come search us, refine us, and possess us wholly. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost we pray. Amen.

Defy the Destroyer: Sin Destroys, Keep His Holy Ways by Debbie Harris

19 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry

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bible, Biblical Truth, Christ Centered Devotionals, Christian Poetry, christianity, faith, god, Inpirational, Inspirational, jesus, Personal Holiness, Royally Redeemed

A Note from the Poet

Dear Reader,

Evil is on the rise. In these last days, the mystery of iniquity works with ever greater power, lawlessness abounds, and the love of many grows cold. Sin no longer hides in shadow but parades openly, cloaked in the garments of liberty while dragging souls into captivity. It is a tragic hour: nations reel, hearts harden, consciences sear, and immortal souls perish by the thousands.

Like the prophets of old, I cry aloud: sin is no gentle deceiver but the ancient serpent, the very mystery of iniquity that wars against the soul. It flatters with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, promising freedom while forging chains of death. From Eden to this present darkness, sin destroys, sin kills, sin ruins — both the hidden man of the heart and the mightiest kingdoms of men.

Yet the Gospel thunders with greater power: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Therefore, arise and shake off the dust! Repent, believe, and run to the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Keep His holy commandments, walk in the narrow way that leads to life, and abide in the Vine who alone can make you clean. Choose this day whom you will serve — sin unto death, or Christ unto righteousness and everlasting joy.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. The Judge stands at the door. Flee to the Cross while mercy may still be found.

In solemn fear and fervent hope,
The Poet

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:20 – Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 – For the mystery of iniquity doth already work…

Matthew 24:12 – And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Isaiah 5:20 – Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil…

Ezekiel 33:11 – …Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die…

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Acts 4:12 – Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Proverbs 14:12 – There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction… Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life…

Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

Joshua 24:15 – …choose you this day whom ye will serve…

In midnight’s vault where sin its feast prepares—
Immorality’s mask on every face,
The rebel will that every virtue dares,
The poison sweet that soils the soul’s pure grace—

It whispers lust and greed in honeyed tone,
Pride’s venom’d crown and wrath’s devouring flame,
With lies that turn the upright heart to stone
And trade immortal hope for fleeting shame.

Arise, O soul! Defy this inward foe,
Though every sense be stormed by siren lies;
Let not immorality’s chains thee overthrow,
Nor barter heaven’s dawn for twilight’s prize.

For sin, the thief in angel’s borrowed light,
Hath quenched great souls and toppled empires high,
Unravelled lives through immorality’s night,
And left but hollow ruins ‘neath the sky.

Yet they who stand, though thunder rends the sky
And hell itself unleashes blackest tide,
Uphold the light no darkness can defy—
The deathless flame that death cannot divide.

O mortal, hear and choose this very hour:
Sin destroys, kills, ruins—flee its power!
Choose life eternal, run to Christ the King,
Keep His holy ways—the path that leads to life.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We come before You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. You see the heaviness of this world and the rise of evil in our day. Sin destroys, kills, and ruins, yet Your mercy is greater. Thank You that where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded.

Lord, awaken hearts that are sleeping. Convict those walking in darkness. Draw the weary, the broken, and the rebellious to the foot of the Cross. Help us to repent, to run to Christ, and to keep Your holy ways — the narrow path that leads to life.

Strengthen every reader who encounters this poem. Give them courage to stand against sin and boldness to point others to the Savior. May Your Holy Spirit move through these words and bring many into Your Kingdom.

We give You all we have, Lord — our lives, our words, our time, and our influence. Use us for Your glory.

In the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we pray.

Amen.

O Earth Defiled – The Reprobate Age: Where Souls Forsake God and Delight in Their Own Damnation by Debbie Harris

19 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christ-centered poetry, Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Inspirational, Pleasing God Not Man, Spiritual Warfare

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bible, Biblical Truth, Christian Poetry, christianity, faith, god, Inspirational, jesus, Reprobate mind, Romans 1

A Note from the Poet

Dear Reader,

I have not written these lines to amuse, nor to provoke idle debate. I have written them because the Spirit of the age grows thick with the very abominations Paul set forth in the first chapter of Romans, and the time for polite silence has passed.

We live in the open fulfillment of that dread indictment: a world that has deliberately cast God from its knowledge, and in return has been given over to a reprobate mind. What was once hidden in the shadows now parades in daylight, clothed in the garments of pride and celebrated with thunderous applause. Vice is no longer ashamed — it demands affirmation. Truth is no longer silenced — it is hunted.

This poem is a lamentation and a warning. It does not rejoice in the darkness, but it will not lie about it. If the words burn, it is because the reality they describe is already burning.

May the same God who gave men over to reprobation also grant them grace to repent, before the cup of wrath overflows and the final accounting begins.

In solemn witness,
The Poet

O Earth, defiled! O blind and reeling sphere,
Where once the Eternal stamped His image clear,
Now men have flung the knowledge of their God
Like refuse to the dogs, and in its stead
Have crowned the Abyss. Therefore the Almighty Hand
Hath loosed the reins: He gives them o’er, He gives!
To reprobate minds, to furnaces of night,
Where every spark of rectitude is quenched.

Behold the plague! Unrighteousness runs black
As pitch through every vein of mortal kind.
Fornication struts naked in the streets,
Crowned queen, and calls her filthiness delight.
Wickedness laughs from thrones of stolen gold;
Covetousness gnaws the bones of nations whole;
Malice, with serpent tongue, whispers and smiles;
Envy, green-eyed, devours her own brood.

Murder walks masked in robes of policy,
Debate is endless war with words for blades,
Deceit hath built her temples out of lies,
And malignity suckles at the breast
Of every infant soul. Whisperers swarm
Like flies on carrion; backbiters flay alive
The reputations of the upright few.
Haters of God lift high their brazen horns,
Proud boasters thunder, “We are gods ourselves!”
Inventors of all evil, ever new,
Disobedient spawn who trample hoary heads,
Without a drop of natural affection left—
Implacable as stone, unmerciful as

Hell.No understanding dwells within their skulls,
No covenant holds, no mercy tempers wrath.
They know—yes, they know—the judgment of the Lord,
That death is wages earned by such as these,
Yet not content with ruin of their own,
They clap, they cheer, they crown the very worst,
They celebrate the monster and the whore,
They feast upon the corpse of dying truth
And call the banquet progress, liberty, light.

This is our hour. Reprobate minds abound,
They rule the councils, they infest the schools,
They poison every fountain of the young,
They strut upon the stages, leer from screens,
They legislate abominations bold
And punish those who name them what they are.
The whole world groans beneath the iron yoke
Of minds delivered up to vomit filth
And call it freedom, minds that love the dark
More dearly than the soul that made the stars.

O dreadful spectacle! O terminal age!
Where good is crucified afresh each dawn,
Where evil wears the purple and the crown,
Where conscience is a relic, mercy weak,
And man, once little lower than the gods,
Crawls lower than the beasts that perish not.

Yet tremble, tyrants of the reprobate heart—
The Judge hath marked the measure of your days.
The cup of wrath is filling, drop by drop,
With every boast, with every shameless rite.
Repent or perish. Turn ye, turn ye now,
Before the heavens crack, before the fire
Consumes the stubble of your vaunted pride,
And leaves behind but ashes and His Name.

This age is Romans One made visible—
The wrath of God revealed from heaven plain
Against all who hold truth in unrighteousness.
Reprobate minds are everywhere.
And hell applauds.

Gloria in Excelsis Mentis: A Consecration of Heart, Soul, and Mind to the Triune Throne by Debbie Harris

19 Sunday Jul 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry

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bible, Biblical Truth, Christ Centered Devotionals, Christian Poetry, christianity, faith, god, Inspirational, jesus

From the Poet

Dear Reader,

This poem was born in the quiet space between prayer and wonder. It seeks to weave the living threads of Scripture—Eden’s breath, Sinai’s fire, Jordan’s cleansing, Golgotha’s shadow, and the empty tomb’s dawn—into a single tapestry of consecration. Like the Psalmist who hid God’s word in his heart, and the Apostle who urged the renewal of the mind, I longed to offer a hymn not only of the lips but of the intellect, the affections, and the will.

In an age when thoughts scatter like chaff before every wind, the prayer remains simple yet immense: May all our thoughts in our hearts, souls, and minds glorify God. The classical form is deliberate—an echo of older voices who believed beauty, truth, and holiness could walk together in measured rhyme.

If these lines stir even one inward turning toward the Eternal, then they have done what they were sent to do.

With reverence and hope,
The Poet

Core Command — Loving God with Heart, Soul, and Mind

Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.Mark 12:30
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Luke 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.Renewal & Transformation of the Mind

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 4:23
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Thoughts & Inner Life Offered to God

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

All for God’s Glory1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.Colossians 3:2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Romans 11:36
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.1 Corinthians 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Additional Supporting Verses

Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

In shadowed halls where mortal musings dwell,
Where hearts like altars flicker, half-divine,
Let every thought arise as incense swell
And souls in ceaseless anthem intertwine.
As Eden’s dawn beheld the forming clay,
So fashion Thou our minds with holy fire;
Let Sinai’s thunder carve Thy law each day,
And Jordan’s wave our wandering hearts inspire.

No Babel-tower of pride shall scrape the skies,
Nor serpent’s whisper coil within the breast;
But as the Psalmist tuned his harp aright,
So tune our spirits to Thy high behest.
The Preacher’s vanity beneath the sun
Yields to the wisdom that in Christ is won.

O Triune Glory, purge the dross of night—
Let every pulse and breath proclaim Thy light.
From Golgotha’s dark tree to empty tomb,
Redeem our reason, till it be Thy throne;
Then shall the inner temple blaze with bloom,
And all within us cry, “Thy will alone.”
As seraphim with sixfold wings adore,
So let our thoughts in ceaseless worship soar.

Thus may the heart, the soul, the mind unite
In one grand doxology of delight—
Till heaven and earth in sweet communion blend,
And every knee in glory lowly bend.

The Never-Ceasing Kindness of God: Our Anchor and Victory in These End Days by Debbie Harris

18 Saturday Jul 2026

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

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A Note from the Poet

Dear Reader,

In these trembling end times—when wars thunder, signs multiply, compromise and cruelty seem to fill the air, and the world feels heavy with uncertainty—my heart turns again and again to the one unshakable truth: the kindness of God never ceases.

When relationships fracture, institutions fail, trust in people crumbles, and all around us falters, He is our constant best friend. His kindness is not faint or fleeting, but fierce, faithful, and personal—closer than any earthly companion. It is the very light we can trust when everything else falls apart.

May these words comfort and strengthen you today. His mercy outshines every shadow, and His victory is already written. Hold fast. The dawn is coming.

With hope unbroken,

The Poet

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

— 2 Timothy 3:1-5

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

— Lamentations 3:22-23

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

— Psalm 136:1 (and repeated throughout the chapter)

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

— Matthew 24:13

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

— Titus 2:13

In the hush of these end days, when shadows stretch long,

When nations rise against nations and the righteous grow strong,

The kindness of God flows like rivers unbound,

Never ceasing, unyielding, a mercy profound.

Through tempests that rage and the birth pangs that shake,

Earthquakes and famines, the signs of the wake,

When false lights deceive and the trumpet is blown,

His goodness descends as the dew on the morn.

In the flicker of trials, where hope seems to fade,

And the dragon grows restless in the darkening shade,

We lean not on princes or fortunes that rust—

His kindness alone is the anchor we trust.

It whispers through valleys where fear grips the soul,

Lifts up the weary as the ages unfold,

No storm can exhaust it, no night can prevail,

For the heart of the Father will never grow frail.

So rest in this truth as the heavens declare

The coming of glory beyond all despair—

Though kingdoms may crumble and stars fall like rain,

His endless compassion will rise once again.

He is faithful forever—hold fast to His hand,

In these closing of chapters, the Eternal has planned.

The kindness of God, never ceasing, our might—

**Victorious forever, our triumph, our light!**

The Glorious And Victorious Gift Of Imputed Righteousness by Debbie Harris

17 Friday Jul 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry

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Dear Reader,

From the quiet hours where only truth and Scripture speak, I write to you.

We possess no righteousness of our own. Not one of us. From the first Adam to the last soul breathing today, every heart is bent, every deed stained, and every attempt at goodness falls short before the perfect holiness of God. The law reveals what we cannot do; the prophets declare what we cannot be. Our best efforts are as filthy rags, and our deepest virtues cannot atone for even a single transgression.

This is why our only hope, our only boast, is Jesus Christ.

He who knew no sin became sin for us. He lived the flawless life the law demanded, then bore its full curse in our place upon the cross. There, the sinless One absorbed the wrath we deserved so that, by simple faith, His perfect righteousness could be credited to us. Not earned. Not achieved. Imputed. Freely given. Reckoned to every sinner who trusts in Him alone.

Therefore, the redeemed no longer look within for merit. We look to Christ. Our standing before God is not based on what we have done, but on what He has done. We are clothed in His obedience, washed in His blood, and accepted in the Beloved. This is the glorious exchange of the gospel: our guilt for His goodness, our shame for His glory.

Let all self-boasting fall silent. Let every tongue confess that our righteousness is Christ Himself — the Lord our Righteousness. In Him we stand complete, justified, and secure, not because we are worthy, but because He is.This is our confidence. This is our song.

With solemn joy and reverence,
The Poet

Here are the KJV verses that form the foundation:

Romans 3:10-11
There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.

Galatians 3:10
Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Romans 3:22
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.

Romans 4:3
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:6
This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

No son of Adam owns a thread
Of righteousness to veil his shame;
The heart is bent, the will is dead,
And every tongue is mute to claim
A single deed that heaven will own.
As it is written, none is just—
All turned aside, all overthrown,
And filthy rags are all their trust.

The law, a blaze of holy fire,
Demands perfection none can bring;
It searches thought and deep desire
And leaves the sinner stripped of wing.
From Eden’s gate to Sinai’s stone,
The sentence thunders, sharp and clear:
“Cursed is the man who fails in one”—
And every man has failed, stands bare.

Yet God, before the worlds were framed,
Beheld the ruin of our race
And gave His Son, the Second Adam,
To run the course we could not face.
Christ lived the life the law required,
Fulfilled its every righteous claim;
Then, lifted high, the Lamb expired,
Bearing our curse, absorbing blame.

O matchless grace! The sinless One
Was made our sin on cursed wood;
That we, through faith in God’s own Son,
Might stand in Him as righteous, good.
Not by our works, but by His merit,
The Father counts us justified;
Imputes to us His Spirit’s credit—
The very righteousness of Christ.

Now robed in garments not our own,
The redeemed lift no boast apart;
Their glory is the cross alone,
The wounds that healed the sinner’s heart.
In Jesus Christ they stand complete,
Accepted in the Beloved’s face;
No flesh may glory in the street,
But only in the Lord’s embrace.

This is the everlasting song
Of every soul whom grace has won:
“Our boast is Christ, and Christ alone—
The Lord our Righteousness, the Son.”
From first to last, from death to life,
All praise ascends through Him alone;
Imputed, sealed, secured by strife—
The Triune God upon the throne.

Bless the Lord, O My Soul: Forget Not All His Benefits — Psalm 103:2 by Debbie Harris

09 Thursday Jul 2026

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

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Poet’s Note

Dear Reader,

This poem was born from the stirring words of Charles Spurgeon and the timeless call of Psalm 103:2 — “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

In a world that so quickly forgets, I wanted to remind both you and myself that the God of Abraham, Moses, and David is not a distant figure confined to ancient pages. He is powerfully present in your story — in the rivers you have crossed, the fires you have walked through, the quiet provisions that arrived at just the right moment, and the still waters that have refreshed your weary soul.

May these lines stir your heart to look back with gratitude, to look up with worship, and to look forward with confident hope. The same faithful hand that guided the saints of old is writing beauty into your life today.

Take a moment. Remember. Give thanks. And then join the song.

Forget not all His benefits.

With joy and reverence,

The Poet

O my soul, arise and bless the Lord,

Forget not all His gifts, both great and small;

The ancient tales of mercy we have heard—

Yet ours are written on these hearts as well.

We trace His hand on Abraham’s road,

On Moses by the sea, on David’s throne;

But turn thine eyes upon thy own abode—

The self-same God walks with thee, not alone.

Hast thou not crossed the river, held on high?

Hast thou not passed through fire and felt no flame?

Hast thou not heard His whisper, “It is I,”

When waves rose fierce and fear laid claim?

The God who gave to Solomon his plea,

Who filled the mouth of David with delight,

Hath stooped to thee in thine infirmity

And satisfied thy soul with hidden light.

He makes thee lie in pastures ever green,

Leads by still waters where thy thirst is quenched;

Each dawn a mercy fresh and unforeseen,

Each trial turned to treasure, grace untrenched.

Then weave these mercies into crowns of gold,

Set jewels of thanksgiving in their place;

Let praise like David’s harp, both strong and bold,

Rise sweet and high before the Saviour’s face.

For He who wrought for saints of olden days

Still bares His arm and shows His strength anew;

His mercy, like the morning, never decays—

Eternal, boundless, ever fresh and true.

O my soul, bless the Lord with all thy breath,

And sing until the heavens catch the strain:

“His goodness follows me through life and death—

Forget Him not; exalt His matchless name!”

Be Our Shield and Hiding Place by Debbie Harris

09 Thursday Jul 2026

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

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A Note from the Poet

Dear Reader,

These words were born in the quiet ache of watching cruelty rise like a flood in our day—tears falling, reputations shattered, hearts hardened. Yet in the midst of it, I remembered the tender heart of God, who stores every tear in His bottle and calls us to be His hands of kindness in a world grown cold. May this poem be both a lament and a lifting up. Hide yourself in Him, the Shield and Hiding Place.

With prayer and hope,

The Poet

These verses affirm that God sees every hurt, hates all forms of cruelty, calls us to tenderness, and stands as our Shield and Hiding Place. Hide His Word in your heart, dear reader.

God Stores Every Tear

Psalm 56:8

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

God Hates Cruelty, Evil Words & Deeds

Proverbs 6:16-19

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Psalm 11:5

The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Ephesians 4:29, 31-32

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying… Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Immorality Is Cruelty to Self

1 Corinthians 6:18

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body…

Swearing & Misuse of God’s Name

Exodus 20:7

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Hate Is Murder

1 John 3:15

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Matthew 5:21-22

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill… But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…

God as Shield and Hiding Place

Psalm 18:2

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psalm 32:7

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 91:4

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Psalm 27:5

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Protection in Days Like Noah & Sodom

Matthew 24:37-39

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage… until the flood came, and took them all away.

Luke 17:28-30

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot… Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

2 Timothy 3:12-13

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Psalm 37:39-40

But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them…

O Lord, who gathers every tear

And stores them in Your bottle clear,

You see the wounds no eye can trace—

The shattered hearts, the silent fears.

You hate all cruelty with holy fire,

Each cutting word, each lifted spear

That tears down souls and ruins names,

That steals promotion, hope, and fame.

Be ye tender, gentle as the dove,

Kind in spirit, rooted in Your love.

For immorality wounds the self alone,

Swearing pierces Heaven’s throne.

Hate is murder in the secret place,

Yet You, O God, are full of grace.

In Sodom’s streets and Noah’s days,

When evil swells and darkness plays—

Rise up, Your people, shield each other!

Protect the weak, defend the brother.

Let tender hands and truthful tongues

Heal what the cruel have left undone.

You are our Shield in battle’s roar,

Our Hiding Place forevermore.

Beneath Your wings we find release,

Your mercy covers cruelty’s increase.

When tears overflow and sorrows swell,

You count them all and know them well.

No broken reed You cast away—

You lift the crushed at break of day.

Oh Lord, in this age of rising night,

Be our fortress, our guiding light.

Guard Your own with jealous care,

Till cruelty flees and love fills the air.

We hide in You, our Rock, our Stay,

Until the cruel storm has passed away.

Amen.

Just as if I Never Sinned by Debbie Harris

08 Wednesday Jul 2026

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

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Dear Reader,

From the Poet —

If these lines find you weary, burdened, or simply longing, know this: the gospel I have tried to capture here is not mere poetry — it is living truth. When the Holy Spirit unveils the glory of full forgiveness and Christ’s imputed righteousness, the heart cannot stay silent. I wrote this in awe, with tears, that you too might taste the same wonder: every sin — past, present, and future — nailed to His cross, and in their place, His perfect record counted as yours.

May these words lift your eyes to Jesus, stir holy tears, and kindle fresh worship. He is worthy.

With reverence and joy,

The Poet

• Colossians 2:13-14 — “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

• Hebrews 10:14, 17 — “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified… And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

• Isaiah 43:25 — “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

• Micah 7:19 — “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

Imputed Righteousness of Christ

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 — “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

• Romans 4:5-6 — “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”

• Romans 5:19 — “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

• Philippians 3:9 — “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Just as if I Never Sinned (No Condemnation)

• Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

• Psalm 103:12 — “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Surpassing Worth of This Grace

• Philippians 3:7-8 — “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

• Matthew 13:45-46 — “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

When blinding light at last breaks through

And every sin—past, present, new—

Lies cancelled in the crimson flood,

Submerged forever in His blood,

Then bursts the soul in speechless awe:

All guilt erased by sovereign law!

Imputed righteousness divine—

Not earned, but counted wholly mine!

The spotless record of the Son

Becomes my own, and I am one

With Him who bore my curse and shame,

Now robed in glory as His name.

Just as if I never sinned,

I stand accepted, reconciled within.

O doctrinal diamond, pure and bright,

More radiant than the noonday light,

Outvaluing the gathered gold

Of empires old and worlds untold—

This single gem of grace supreme

Outweighs the universe’s dream.

My eyes dissolve in holy tears;

My knees sink low, my spirit hears

The whisper of redeeming love

That lifts the guilty far above

All thrones and powers, all earthly boast,

To rest in Christ, in Him engrossed.

I weep, I worship, I adore

The Lamb once slain, now evermore

Enthroned in majesty and grace,

Whose every breath bids mercy blaze.

What tongue can tell, what heart conceive

The riches I in Him receive?

Take all the world—its fleeting store—

I count it loss forevermore.

For this: to know my sins are gone,

And Christ’s own beauty called my own—

This is the pearl of greatest price,

The fountain of eternal life.

Jesus, my Lord, my All in All,

Upon Thy name I gladly fall;

And till I see Thee face to face,

Let every breath proclaim Thy grace:

“Worthy the Lamb who took my place!”

Amen and Amen.

Come, Walk with Me Through the Garden of the Holy Word of Our Precious Triune God by Debbie Harris

08 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by Debbie Harris in Christian Poetry, Exalting Jesus Christ, Holy Bible, Israel, Praise, Royally Redeemed, salvation

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Poet’s Note

Dear Reader,

May we all walk through the garden of the Holy Word of our precious Triune God!

This poem was born as an invitation—an open gate into a living garden where every flower whispers truth about our great and gracious God. Each bloom was chosen with care to reflect a precious doctrine of the Christian faith, so that as you stroll through the verses, your heart might be lifted, your mind renewed, and your spirit drawn closer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Whether you read it slowly in quiet devotion, aloud with others, or return to it again and again, my prayer is that these lines become a gentle path of worship for you. The garden is not mine; it belongs to Him. I simply scattered a few seeds and rejoiced to watch them grow.

May the Triune God who walks with you in this garden also walk with you through every season of life—until we meet at last in the eternal garden where every flower is fully open and every promise is fully kept.

With joy and blessing,

A fellow pilgrim in the garden

Come, walk with me through the garden fair

Of the Holy Word, our Triune God’s own care—

Where Father’s breath awakens every leaf,

Son’s footsteps trace the path of grace and grief.

The Iris lifts her threefold face in light,

Trinity in unity and might:

One stem, three petals, heaven’s colors blend,

Eternal love that knows no beginning, end.

The Lily pure unfurls her trumpet white,

Incarnation—God with us, the Light;