Homemade Ice-Cream

Acts 27:25
 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.
 Have you ever believed something to be true in such a way that nothing or no one could ever convince you otherwise. When I was a child we had the best family reunions. Many of my family members were musicians." My "Pa Pa" played the banjo among other instruments and in my eyes he was the best in Texas. They would play that down home blue grass and country music at every family reunion. With the music there was the best Home cooking a person could ever hope to wrap their lips around, fried chicken, mashed taters (that's potatoes for you city people) and gravy, all that "good ole" artery clogging stuff. Then there were those deserts, Oh what incredible deserts we had. Apple pie, Pecan pie, cherry pie, banana pudding, all kinds of cakes. And my favorite....."home made ice cream!" But the ice cream didn't start out as ice cream. As I remember it, it started out as stuff like milk, sugar, eggs and some other ingredients that my "Ma Ma" would mix up and put in the "ICE CREAM CHURN." She would tell me, my brother and my cousins, to crank on the handle and churn the Ice cream. One of us would sit on the churn while the other would turn the handle. We would take turns, as one would get tired the other would take over. As the ice cream became thicker the work got harder. It was almost like an opposing force! But we were determined, we had a goal. We believed what our "Ma Ma" said,"Y'all keep on cranken on that handle and we'll soon have ice cream!" I knew this were true and no one would  ever convinced me otherwise. It had been proven, it was a sure thing. I had seen it before. Our obedience and hard work would soon serve our ultimate purpose "ice cream." I had no reason to doubt what "Ma Ma" said. She knew exactly what she was doing.  Just like Jesus! When He says it, you can believe it.     
 So many times when God starts a work in us, He begins by simply putting us in situations where we see a need. We see an opportunity for someone else to experience the love of Jesus, then we envision how God will carry this plan out through our obedience. Anytime God begins a work in us it is because He wants to save someone for all of eternity or  He wants to equip someone for His purpose of saving someone for all of eternity! (Luke 19:10) This work is most critical! It is a part of God's master plan. Every time these purposes are being accomplished, opposition will come, trials will happen, discouraging obstacles are a part of ministry! That one is worth repeating, "Discouraging Obstacles are a part of ministry!" The fallen nature of man is sinful so it is  second nature for people to oppose God. The earth itself is also fallen. Its not the perfect place it once was. Even nature may oppose the work of God! I'm not saying that the earth has a mind of it's own. I'm saying that it rains on our parade every now and then. This world is in no way perfect. Then on top of all of this we have any enemy and he has a huge army. The devil stands in opposition to what God has called us to do!(Zechariah 3:1) In light of all of this we can have a clear understanding that opposition will happen! We should be encouraged by this fact. We must be following Jesus or there would be no opposition! In Acts 27 Paul is on His way to testify to Caesar about his conversion to Christianity. God told him that he would have the opportunity to tell the ruler of the Roman empire about Jesus!(Acts 27:23-24) God had a plan and Paul was instrumental in carrying out this plan. God will accomplish what He sets out to do. Philippians 1:6 says,"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" What ever God starts.....God finishes! This brings so much encouragement to me. It like saying the battle is already won, JUST SHOW UP! Be obedient to the call on your life. 2 Timothy 1:12 says,"for I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep  what I have committed to Him until that day." God is able. He ensures us that we will finish His work and He will do this until He comes for us! If God is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) We can believe it just as we were told. God will do what He has said. Every time a goal is accomplished we reap the rewards and benefits and every time God uses us someone else reaps the rewards also. I can only compare the marvelous work of our God to homemade ice-cream in one way. When the ice-cream was finished,"all the churning finally complete." "Ma Ma" would get out the "big spoon," The whole family would get in line for a bowl of that "HOMEMADE ICE-CREAM." It wasn't just for those who churned, It was for everyone who got in line for a scoop! May we keep believing and working so others may experience our Jesus