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Today’s blog is the second of a two-part series on singleness by Chelsea Dudley. I have the deepest appreciation for her wisdom and Christ-centered insights. Thanks, Chelsea, for this helpful article.

Chelsea Dudley has written two excellent articles on singleness. This is the first of her articles. They are both on point, solidly biblical, from her heart, and much needed. Even if you’re married, please read them! There is something here for all of us.

Soon after the death of George Floyd, Kelsey Brown, a woman I know and deeply respect, who lives here in Oregon, shared the following words on Facebook. My heart breaks for Kelsey and her family, and all the more having heard these stories over and over again from trustworthy people like her and Vergil.

Unfortunately, many nonbelievers know only two kinds of Christians: those who speak the truth without grace and those who are very nice but never share the truth. What they need to see is a third type of Christian—one who, in a spirit of grace, loves them enough to humbly tell them the truth.

When believers die and go to the present Heaven in the presence of God, do they face any kind of judgment of works at that point, or does all judgment come at the resurrection?

In this excerpt from my book Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, a high-ranking demon instructs his subordinate how to deceive and destroy Jordan Fletcher and his family—in this case, when it comes to their choosing a college for their daughter Jillian.

The following verses remind us of the importance of actually listening and reading before we respond, both in person and online. Sadly, many of us don’t know how to read, pay attention, listen, or think critically, and it shows in our conversations and online interactions. 

I’ve received messages over the years from believers who say something along the lines of this: “I struggle with forgiving myself for a past sin. I’ve asked Christ’s forgiveness for it many times but can’t seem to resolve my feelings of guilt and accept God’s forgiveness.”

Some depression comes from simply feeling the crushing weight of pain and brokenness in one’s life and the lives of others around the globe. Of course, self-preoccupied woe-is-me depression quickly becomes deeply unhealthy. But sometimes when we feel burdened, we may simply be joining the whole of creation in groaning because of a suffering world. In that case, we’re in good company, for “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).

I believe Jesus will always have those scars on His hands and feet. In Revelation, in His glorified body, He is repeatedly called the lamb who has been slain. The continuity between His risen body and His glorified body once He ascended to Heaven seems to be there.

Years ago I put together a number of Scriptures on the power of our words. Their cumulative weight is stunning. In today’s world of social media, which allows us to publish comments to the world with the mere push of a button, more than ever we as God’s people need to read and meditate on Scripture, and examine our heart and habits. We need to be slower to anger and slower to speak, and quicker to hear and think biblically.

A few years ago I enjoyed meeting recording artist Shai Linne at a conference where we were speaking the same night. We had a terrific conversation in which I thanked him for his extraordinary work and artistry in conveying solid biblical doctrine. Please listen to his powerful words in the following article. They resonate, down to the specific illustrations, with what every black man, from poor guys to rich ones, told me when I interviewed many black Americans while researching my novel Dominion.

Over the years, God has been faithful in what I call “the low tides” of life. In those times, I’ve seen Him in ways not always visible during high tides—periods of relative ease and comfort. As the wonders of underwater tide pools are only seen at low tide, so the wonders of God and depths of our need for Him can become visible to us in our own low tides.

I have posted previous blogs and articles on racial justice, including my last blog post. At the risk of being misunderstood or misquoted by some who will say, “This is no time to defend cops,” I want to also address the role of righteous people of all ethnicities serving in law enforcement, and say something to police officers that I feel deeply.