Deception in the body of Christ. Much like the waters that kill, there is a deception about our lives that is permeating the body of Christ. Jesus says He will return for a spotless bride. I await that day, and yet like the poem, "there are many miles to go."

There is poison in our wells. A foulness that has slowly but surely crept in. I hear so many Christians set their standards by the worlds. We are to measure ourselves by world standards, or church standards, or what brother so and so is like(I am better than him...), but how do we measure up to Jesus. We in this country mourn the deaths of children and a brave teacher on a school campus. The "assailants" were 11 and 13. But there was also the child who shot at his principal the same day. Our prayers are for all involved. The press ties these situations to records and movies and games, and shows their involvement in church. I don't disagree. When we begin to do spiritual housecleaning and become the spiritual heads we are to be, we will find the demonic force will be pushed away.

Our standards should be measured by the Bible and its standards. The actions are all actions of sins. Correctable, if you recognize sin is "missing the mark".

The deception comes when we look at the world and want to base our actions upon it and support our claims by world standards. The world says "sin is okay". But what do you say???

My children can't have worldly music (there is even some Christian rock that is denied), or worldly posters hanging in their rooms. They may do it somewhere else, but it is my "job" to hold the fort. Biblical standards apply to children-the Bible says so. Do I think I am better than God when I tolerate sin?

The waters that people are drinking are often times becoming bitter. And the fact that it is so slow, it gets by.

The Bible talks of wells being stopped by the Philistines.

Ge 26:18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

The wells of our life need us to go and clean them out. You and I removing the junk.

Exodus 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah; for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

25 And he cried to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them...

You and I have come to bitter waters before. Oft times we have drank. But there is a tree of that will bring sweetness to the water. It is the cross, the tree that Jesus hung on.

You can't begin to spiritually houseclean and remove deceptions until you embrace the cross. Not be around it, but be on it! You and I, crucified with Christ.