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Be of Good Cheer by Brother Skip Dunning

Let’s be honest — we could all use a little encouragement these days. The world is heavy with discouragement. But what exactly does encouragement mean? Is it just telling someone their hair looks nice or that they’ve got a good smile? It can be that — but it’s much deeper. Encouragement means to exhort, to comfort, to help. It’s lending a steady hand when someone’s about to fall. It’s seeking out the discouraged and lifting their spirits. And it doesn’t take much to either lift someone up or drag them down. Sometimes a harsh word or even a cold glance can be enough to discourage a heart.
The world tries to offer encouragement through fleeting things — trophies, titles, applause. But those things fade. True, lasting encouragement comes from God and His Word.
Jesus was the master encourager.
One of my favorite things He said was “Be of good cheer.” He spoke these words to His disciples more than once. One powerful moment is found in Matthew 14:22-33.
“But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
(Matthew 14:24-27 KJV)
Can you imagine? In the darkest part of the night, in the middle of a raging storm, Jesus shows up and says, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
And what happens next is just like us. Peter steps out in faith but gets distracted by the wind and the waves.
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him.”
(Matthew 14:30-31 KJV)
When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can weather any storm. When we take our eyes off Him and focus on the troubles around us, we begin to sink. But praise God — when we cry out, “Lord, save me,” He reaches out immediately.
Encouragement from God is more than calming storms.
Look at Matthew 9:2:
“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”
Before healing the man’s body, Jesus healed his soul. Our greatest encouragement comes from knowing that our sins are forgiven.
Later, in one of His final conversations with the disciples, Jesus offers these words:
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 KJV)
Yes, trials will come — but Jesus has already won the victory.
So how can we be encouragers like Christ?
Share the love of Christ with others.
The Bible tells us:
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
(Matthew 24:14 KJV)
And,
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16 KJV)
People need to see Christ in us — in our words, actions, and attitudes.
Be friendly, even to those you struggle with.
Avoiding people is easy, but we are called to love everyone. Look at what Paul says:
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV)
It doesn’t say some men. It says all.
Pray for one another.
The Bible says:
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
(James 5:16 KJV)
There’s no greater encouragement than knowing someone is praying for you.
And through it all, we can cling to this promise:
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”
(Psalm 118:6 KJV)
Be encouraged today. Encourage someone else. Offer a smile, a kind word, or a prayer. We might not be able to remove someone’s storm, but we can remind them of the One who walks on water.
Jesus will never forsake you. Be of good cheer!

For anyone interested, my book has now been published to Amazon. Ebook, paperback and hardcover versions are all live now.
https://a.co/d/4cvoy9d

Coming soon! Acceptable Offerings contains 43 sermons written for a nursing home ministry in Maine. It will be available on Kindle, Paperback or Hardcover. Details to follow.

Like it or not, the Catholic Church is not a Christian Church. Jesus taught that he is the only way to get to heaven. Not the Pope, not Mary, and certainly not good works we might do here on earth. The Pope has died and is now getting his reward. He is answering for all the souls he damned to hell with his heresy. The catholics think that they are going to go to purgatory, which is a fantasy. There is no such thing. You make a choice here on earth , even if you don't make a choice. Hell is the destination for all who refuse the salvation that only comes by Jesus. The whore of Bablylon won't get you there and you certainly don't want to end up where the Pope is today.

Just Be Quiet
– Brother Skip Dunning

“Study to be quiet...”
That phrase from the Bible might sound strange at first — study to be quiet? But it’s a command that requires action. It doesn’t come naturally for many of us, especially in today’s noisy world.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 tells us to “study to be quiet.”
Why? Because silence can be powerful. Here’s why we should all work to “just be quiet”:

To Hear God’s Voice
God wasn’t in the wind, or the fire, or the earthquake — He was in the still small voice (1 Kings 19). You can’t hear God if you’re too busy making noise — with your mouth, your mind, or your attitude.

To Consider Others
Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 warns us not to be rash with our words. Sometimes, people don’t need advice — they just need someone to listen. Talking less is an act of humility and love.

To Avoid Sin
Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin.” The more we talk, the more we risk gossip, lies, pride, and regret. Study to be quiet, and guard your testimony.

To Learn from Others
James 1:19 says, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak.” Pride talks over people. Humility listens and learns. We all have something to gain from others — but only if we stop talking long enough to hear it.

To Practice Self-Denial
Romans 8:13 reminds us to “mortify the deeds of the body.” That includes the urge to lash out, to argue, or to always have the last word. Silence can be a spiritual discipline.

It takes effort. It takes grace. It takes practice. But with God’s help, we can study to be quiet — for His glory, and for the sake of our testimony in a loud, chaotic world.

Let’s live like the peculiar people we are called to be (1 Peter 2:9).
Let’s glorify God not only with our words… but with our silence.

“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of that fact.” – George Eliot

#JustBeQuiet #StudyToBeQuiet #ChristianLiving #BibleTruth #GuardYourTestimony #ListenToGod

If anyone is wondering why I only use the King James Bible, please take some time to listen to these four podcasts on the subject at my website.

https://welcome-to-acceptable-offerings.simplecast.com/episodes/common-responses-to-the-word-of-god

https://welcome-to-acceptable-offerings.simplecast.com/episodes/what-do-we-do-with-the-word-of-god

https://welcome-to-acceptable-offerings.simplecast.com/episodes/the-perfect-word

https://welcome-to-acceptable-offerings.simplecast.com/episodes/the-word-of-god-av-1611

God knows what we need just when we need it.


https://welcome-to-acceptable-offerings.simplecast.com/episodes/is-this-not-the-christ

I'll say it again. If you don't use the Bible, please don't friend request me. God provided a perfect, flawless english Bible in the KJB. If you use another "version" you are compromising and don't believe that God is able to preserve his words. Doctrines matter and the modern "versions" pervert the doctrines of God.

New podcast added yesterday. "Avoiding Conviction"
https://welcome-to-acceptable-offerings.simplecast.com/episodes/avoiding-conviction

If you haven’t yet, I’d like to encourage you to visit the podcast at www.acceptableofferings.com I welcome comments and would like to hear from you.

Let me make a simple clarification here. If you want to friend request me, please read my profile. I am a Bible believer, which means I believe in the King James Bible as the word of God. No NIV, ESV, M O U S E, just the BIBLE. I don’t believe in women preachers because God doesn’t believe in women preachers. I don’t believe in Catholics because God doesn’t believe in Catholics. I do not participate in the lukewarm churches of Laodicea, because God spews them out of his mouth. I will not debate doctrine unless you can show me from the Bible that I’m wrong.

Living in Laodecia is hard. Staying there is even harder.

For those of you that follow me, my podcast now has its own URL. http://www.acceptableofferings.com Please check it out and subscribe. New podcasts will be out every Friday unless it's a special and those may drop any time. I covet your prayers for this ministry!

Taking a break from FaceBook due to the fake people. Time to make new friends who believe as I do. #independantbaptist #kingjamesonly