Jim Novell

In the classic Christian allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan tells the story of Christian (who represents the true Christian), as he travels from the City of Destruction (this present evil world) to the Celestial City (Heaven), and the challenges he and all Christians face on that journey.  Christian and his friend Faithful come to an […]

I want to begin this post with a multiple-choice quiz.  The question to be answered is twofold; Why does anything exist and why do I exist? There can be only one correct answer, and if you get it wrong it has both present and eternal consequences. Please choose from the following answers:  There was a

One of the most famous pieces of English literature written is an epic poem by a man named John Milton, and the title of the poem is Paradise Lost.  It was written in 1667.  According to Milton, his purpose in writing this was to justify the ways of God to men, which is ultimately the

Near the end of my previous post we were left with a question voiced by Pontius Pilate, a governing official of what would have been the most civilized and just empire in the world at that time, Rome.  The question, “What is truth?” From about 500 BC to about 30 BC Rome existed as a

No justice – No peace is a slogan that has been ever present in the recent world-wide marches protesting what appeared to be a brutal, senseless murder of a black man by four Minnesota policemen, one who committed the act and three who stood by and allowed him to.  The death of George Floyd at

What kind of world, what kind of nation did you wake up to today?  For me it seemed all too much like the nation I woke up to in my youth, back in the late 60’s and early 70’s; a nation deeply divided along racial, religious and political lines; with demonstrations in the street fueled

There have been a number of popular songs that have the word believe, believer or believing in the title. Songs recorded by Josh Groban, Elton John and Cher are titled by the single command, Believe. The classic rock song by Journey, Don’t Stop Believin’ is typically a rallying song at many sporting events, and who

Are you saved?  This is a question Christians may ask of those we meet as we attempt to fulfill the great commission given by our Lord Jesus to make known to those whose lives we touch, the gracious gift of salvation He came into the world to provide (1 Timothy 1:15) to all who would

Grace is the most glorious concept in Christianity and is why I am a Christian. It is only over the past few years of my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ that I have begun to comprehend the significance of this wonderful reality. There is a story from the life of C.S. Lewis, the

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. This is the opening stanza of what is probably the most popular English hymn in the world, Amazing Grace.  It reportedly has been recorded by over 6,000 artists- from