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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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Very Sweet, Indeed! The names Lindt,
Neuhaus, Toblerone, and Godiva are world-renowned for their unique and
delicious blends of chocolate and other confectionery.
In Europe, there are over thirty museums dedicated to chocolate,
such as the Imhoff Schokolade Museum in Cologne, which celebrates 3,000 years of
chocolate making by allowing visitors to drink daily from their
chocolate fountain. One
of the tools that confectionery makers may use is a process known as
batch distillation, where a liquid is poured into a kettle and heat is
applied. The undesirable components, such as water, ethers, alcohols,
acids and other lightweight materials are driven off by the heat; in
fact workers call these substances “lights.”
The molecules composing these substances are usually free
standing and do not bond with neighboring molecules to give higher
molecular weight. The
desirable product, however, is not driven away but stays in the kettle
and sweetens as the heating proceeds.
The molecules of this product readily interact with others to
form tight bonds and intertwine to give heavy molecular weight. When
the right amount and duration of heat has been applied, the process is
stopped to give the end product a perfect texture and taste.
Great care is taken to apply only as much heat as the product can
bear, so as not to form carbon or “caramelize” it.
By staying in the kettle and being transformed by the heat, soupy
and viscous liquids are converted into delectable products which people
all over the world cherish and enjoy daily. The
process of making chocolate illustrates a process that God would like to
implement in YOUR LIFE and MINE – with our cooperation. First,
God would like to remove the “undesirable components” from our
lives; Our SINS!
Sin separates us from God and from all that is truly good (Isaiah
59:1-2). Sin also leads to
eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46).
In order to receive the abundant life now (John 10:10) and
eternal life to come (Romans 6:23), the impurity of sin must be removed
from our lives. God,
in His love, has provided the means of purging these impurities from our
lives. He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins
by dying on the cross (Ephesians 1:7).
To be cleansed from our sins through His atoning sacrifice, we
must believe
and trust Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38). Secondly,
God wants to transform our lives into the image of Christ
(Romans 8:29). This process
requires “heat” – the challenge of living for Christ in an ungodly
society. With our faithful
cooperation, by His grace, God will mold us more and more into the image
and likeness of Jesus – a life that is very sweet, indeed. Won’t
YOU allow Him to make something sweet out of YOUR
life? Church
of Christ at Creekwood To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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