Welcome, friend—I’m glad you’ve pulled up a chair on the front porch of my little corner of the internet. My name is Michael Joe Harvell, and I live my life with one simple mission: to glorify God, encourage people, and leave this world a little better than I found it. I’m a husband, father, pastor, writer, Jeep enthusiast, and front-porch thinker who believes that life is best lived on purpose. I serve as pastor of Eureka Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina, where I get the joy of preaching, teaching, and walking with people through the ups and downs of everyday life. Over the years, I’ve discovered that faith isn’t just about Sunday mornings—it’s about living every single day in the presence and power of God. I’m also an author. My books—including The Grace Exchange: How Forgiven People Forgive People and The Word Works—grow out of the sermons, stories, and lessons I’ve learned on this journey. I write in a style that’s conversational, a little front-porch-rocking-chair, and full of stories, quotes, and Scripture that point us back to the goodness of God’s Word. When I’m not writing or preaching, you might find me sitting outside with my Bible and journal, cruising the backroads in my Jeep Gladiator, or sharing a meal and some laughs with the good folks God has put in my life. I love helping people find peace in their spirit, strength in their body, and encouragement in their soul. This blog is simply an extension of that mission. Here you’ll find devotions, encouragement, reflections, and practical insights for living a life of purpose, peace, and joy. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a rocking chair, and stay awhile—I’d be honored to walk this road of faith with you.
When I pass from this life and enter into eternal life, my family has been instructed to use a few different songs in the celebration of leaving this world for the better world that my Heavenly Father has created for me.
One of the songs that became near and dear to me as I first began my ministry and that has remained near and dear is called “Keep On The Firing Line!” The lyrics encourage me to stay with it, no matter how hard the battle may become. I hope these lyrics will minister to and encourage you today! (Don’t Miss The Video At The End!)
If you’re in the battle for the Lord and right,
Keep on the firing line;
If you win, my brother, surely you must fight,
Keep on the firing line;
There are many dangers that we all must face,
If we die still fighting it is no disgrace;
Cowards in the service will not find a place,
So keep on the firing line.
Refrain:
Oh, you must fight, be brave against all evil,
Never run, nor even lag behind;
If you would win for God and the right,
Just keep on the firing line.
God will only use the soldier He can trust,
Keep on the firing line;
If you’ll wear a crown then bear the cross you must,
Keep on the firing line.
Life is but to labor for the Master dear,
Help to banish evil and to spread good cheer;
Great you’ll be rewarded for your service here,
So keep on the firing line.
When we get to heaven, brother, we’ll be glad,
Keep on the firing line;
How we’ll praise the Savior for the call we had,
Keep on the firing line;
When we see the souls that we have helped to win,
Leading them to Jesus, from the paths of sin,
With a shout of welcome, we will all march in,
So keep on the firing line!
Have you noticed how negative and pessimistic the world that we live in is? You can’t go through a typical day without someone or something spouting out some kind of information that beats you down, rather than picks you up!
The main problem is that most every one of us, if we are not careful become selfish! When you become the center of your universe, you take the place that rightfully belongs to God and rob people of joy and God of glory!
The Bible says in Hebrews 3:13 – “We should encourage one another daily!” It’s easy to point out everyone else’s failures and flaws, but God did not save us, so that we could beat down, but so that we could build up for His glory!
Christians should speak uplifting words of faith, belief and victory! We often think nice thoughts, but fail to verbalize them! We have to do more than think it – we need to speak it! Zig Ziglar says that when you help enough other people to reach their goals, that you automatically begin to reach your own!
This is a supernatural principle at work, that can only be explained by God said it! I did it! He worked the miracles and I received the blessing! Get rid of the negative stuff of this world, grab hold of the positive stuff of Heaven and share it with everyone you can for God’s glory!
Do we really believe what we read in our Bibles? I mean, if we really believe something, then it should influence, direct and guide our living. But most of us just continue to live our lives any ole way we want to.
For example, take 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.” Do we really believe this verse? Do we really take this verse seriously? If we believe it and if we take it serious, then it has to change the way we live our lives!
One day, we are going to stand before Christ and He is going to judge us! The reason He is judging us, is so we can be rewarded or punished. We will be rewarded for our good and punished for our bad. Is there really any other way to interpret this verse?
I know, some of you are reading this and you are wanting to play the “salvation card”! You are thinking: “Well yes, I do bad, but I am saved and that means that God has forgiven me!” It is true that God will forgive us, but if we are really saved, then it carries us right back to what Scripture says we should do if we really believe it!
If you are really saved, then it has to change the way you live your life! There is no getting around it! Way too many church people have played way too many games and are going to be surprised on that day when they stand before Jesus!
Jesus put it this way in Matthew 25:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Pretty much sums it all up, doesn’t it! Play games if you want to, just realize that there will be a day and it might be a lot sooner than any of us realize!
Michael Joe Harvell 