This is obviously a picture of a bird cage with a steeple on top. Pretty fancy for a bird cage isn’t it?
Steeples are interesting; there are many theories about how steeples got started. Not on bird cages, but on the top of church buildings. I don’t think anyone knows for sure why, but the practice apparently goes back to the 600’s, undoubtedly with the Catholic church. The steeples, churches and then the cathedrals became bigger and more elaborate with time. After the reformation began, the reformers unfortunately continued many of the Catholic practices, including that of putting steeples on top of their church buildings. As time went on the practice diversified, as things always do in the world of men, and steeples were placed on top of Lutheran churches, Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Presbyterian churches, etc; and so on, of every shape and size, large or small, on every street corner in every town.
Well, you get the idea, and so the putting of steeples on top of various church denominations became standard practice until fairly recently when church design took on a more modern look.
However, there is just one very important problem with all this………..God does not dwell in a house made with hands, never has, never will.
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” Acts 17:24
There was a saying that became popular with church folks about 20 or so years ago, that went like this...”You can’t put God in a box”. This is a very true saying, however, these church folks were preaching this thing about God from the inside of boxes they had made for Him….called “churches”.
So, when mankind, thinking falsely to serve the Most High God by all this church building and steeple placing, in reality, all they have accomplished is creating a bird cage for themselves. With or without a steeple….. that is a fact.
Spiritual Abuse Sanctuary 
Jesus had a few choice things to say to the Nicolaitans about their doctrines and deeds being what He hated, (the only time in the New Testament He ever said He hated something).
Nicolaiatans are the “leadership clergy” that rule over the dumbed down “laity” who sit in the pews every week and pay for this mess. You’ll never hear one of these Nicolaitan pulpiteers preach on the subject of the doctrines and deeds of the Nicolaitans because they’d be telling on themselves. And if the “laity dupes” ever woke up to the scam, these guys would probably be tarred and feathered and run out of town as they all should be, the entire lot of them.
So sad that young men aspire to be in such pulpits, Scarlett, believing this is something godly.
The Lord is getting His Bride ready for His return!
I disagree with your conclusions. Certainly have been imbuing the building in which the church worships with more than it should have. This is one of the reasons the Puritans and other Reformed folks didn’t have a building and instead rented a hall for the church (the people who worship together) to gather.
The building is not the church. The local church meets in a building.
Thanks.
Or one another’s homes, as did the early saints……… as it says.
Agreed. I suspect I was violently agreeing with you.
I am reminded of the childrens rhyme and finger motions that go with it.
“Here’s the church
and here’s the steeple.
Open the door
and see all the people.”
What nonsense, what absolute nonsense that is. I was just talking to a brother about how far reaching this thinking is even in some true believers. You can hear it in comments such as ‘they are getting a new roof put on their church’. I remember the first time someone corrected me for calling a building a church. It took a while for me to detox from that false thinking. I am not writing this to condemn any true saint that calls a building a church still, but say look into God’s word on the matter and have your mind renewed by it as we are instructed!
All that to say I am not 100% (just 99.5%) against buildings all together such as an inner city mission that give saints a central place to care for and minster to lost addicts. Still even then the nature of religious flesh is to gravitate to a place of worship (high places, etc) and there is danger in our collective christian lives revolving around a place rather than being connected through Jesus Christ as our head. This even happened in the azusa street revival where they were just meeting in a building (no clergy-laity either) as a matter of practicality then it happened…
“Sure enough, the very next day after I had spoken this warning in the meeting, I found a sign outside the building reading ‘Apostolic Faith Mission.’ The Lord said ‘That is what I told you.’ They had done it. Surely a party spirit cannot be Pentecostal. There can be no divisions in a true Pentecost. To formulate a separate body is but to advertise our failure as a people of God.”
The Lord bless you sister, sorry for being long winded – also, will write back in the next couple days. Forgive me.
In Christ
-Jim
I understand brother….unfortunately, most folks, even “church” goers…. just don’t get it if you don’t say “church”. This scam pulled off by Satan nearly 2,000 yrs ago has been a very effective mechanism to keep the elect under as much control as possible, but so sad, too bad for him, some of em broke free and ran out of the barn metaphorically speaking. Personally, I cringe at the thought of going back into the shackles and chains of Nicolaitanism.
PS: I know you’ve been super busy lately, and in my own way, so have I…will explain later. The past few days have been rainy and overcast…very rare for this neck of the woods.
The Lord Jesus bless,
Scarlett
Scarlett, really effective post! As a side note but related, the tax exempt status 501(c)3 business is so destructive to the Church and individuals.
This is true dear sister, and the saddest thing is that so many congregants don’t even realize what it is or the implications of it. I truly am grateful for those who sound the alarm and make others aware of the apostasy going on. If it were not for them, I too, would still be groping in the dark.
So grateful that they were faithful and helped you, Scarlett! Yes, each of us in the field the Lord places us to work. May He strengthen and lead us clearly – pray we listen!
I totally agree. But primarily because of the distortion of the originally intended purpose.
Thanks Scarlett. Well said.
To quote from my book, Real Christianity: “Power of the steeple, by the steeple, and for the steeple…”
Be blessed.
That’s a good one. It shows how deeply addictive the herd syndrome is in affecting human behavior.