Don't feed the monkeys by Isaac Europe

Don’t Feed The Monkeys Guidelines for Writing Songs of the House

Pastor Tony Higginson

Bethel Christian Centre ©Dec 2008 Well Top Publishing

Don’t Feed the Monkeys (Before reading please watch the film footage enclosed) A few years ago, we as a church headed out for a day of fun to the zoo in the city of Chester in England, a place that I had not visited for many, many years since I was a child. Upon entering the zoo, I became so excited at the thought of seeing real life lions, elephants, tigers and my personal favourite ‐ the monkeys, for since I was child I have always been fascinated by them. Monkeys are funny creatures; they display amazing similarities to that of human behaviour, being mischievous and easily tempted, to name a few! Monkeys are also creatures that like to put on a bit of a show for their audience from time to time. At the zoo, whenever a visitor approaches the monkey looking for an opportunity to feed him, he is met with a clear, distinctive sign that reads “In The Interest of Public Safety, Please Do Not Feed the Monkeys”. Now, having read this, why then do we think that there will be no consequences if we approach the monkey and allow him to take food from our hands? It is the thrill‐ seeker sensation that places the visitor in danger, because the monkey does not operate by the law of restraint, as this is not his nature. It is because of this untamed nature that the monkey is known as an unpredictable creature, as he himself does not know how far he will go. The reason why the monkey is caged is because he does not work or operate by rules or guidelines, as there are none in the jungle, and left to his own devices the monkey will endanger those trying to enter into his world. Please keep this image clear in your mind as we continue.

What Is My Point? ‘What is your point?’ I hear you say. Well, there is a generation on the face of the earth today that are termed as the ‘Libertine Generation’. This is a generation that neither likes or understands boundaries, and overrides rules and guidelines entirely. The adjective ‘libertine’ literally sums up the dangers of this generation along with the spirit behind it, by explaining it as being ‘wild, showing no restraint in life or character’. The noun of this word means ‘degenerate’. To date, there is a growing trend of people taking centre stage in leading worship, displaying traits not too dissimilar to those outlined above. They do not understand the protocols and guidelines needed for keeping the altar of God pure. Another word that aptly sums up this generation taking centre stage is the word ‘variable’. The English dictionary describes the word ‘variable’ as being ‘behaviour, emotions and opinions that lack consistency and are therefore fickle’ and it is the variable, fickle ‘monkey behaviour’ that is potentially turning the altar of God into a performance driven stage. If this is left unchallenged, it will invariably bring about a desecration, not only to the altar of God, but to the house of God also. Let me further express to you how the variable monkey’s libertine nature currently operates. His nature is one of dysfunction and desecration. Why? Because he uses worship to create music rather than using music for the creation of worship. When this happens, another spirit enters the house, turning the house and the altar into a platform for performance, even though during this performance there will be no sign that says ‘In The Interest Of Congregational Safety, Please Do not Feed the Monkeys’. The nature and subtle danger of the libertine monkey means that he will push and shape for himself an expression of what he perceives ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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to be a culturally relevant church, believing it to be what everyone is looking for. When he finds such a place, he will then begin to demand from you and me as congregational worshippers, that we feed him and his ego. Within many of today’s corporate worship expressions, the youth are beginning to take the lead, which is very encouraging to see. Christian music is hitting all corners of the earth with melodies and riffs that are just as creative as those being written and sung in the secular market place, highlighting a rise in quality within the church. The church’s desire to be seeker‐friendly and culturally relevant is causing a new wave of generational worship to hit the church. However, although the young have passion, zeal and energy in abundance, they tend to be nonchalant and familiar with life and the things of God. It is this nonchalance and familiarity that, if not trained and developed, will ultimately see the spirit of worship being traded for a spirit of music. Historically the church in the west, due to religion, hymns, liturgy and tradition, witnessed a whole generation rebel against such practices, and as a consequence, they disconnect themselves from church entirely, believing the church to be somewhat boring and irrelevant. Now the emergence of the cool, seeker‐friendly, trendy, 21st century, multi‐media church has recaptured and grafted a whole generation of youth back into the house of God, which is a good thing to see. However, as exciting as it is seeing a generation reconnect back to their spiritual roots, many of these believers carry within them an unformed nature ‐ a libertine nature. The 21st century multi‐media church in the main, centres around numbers, rather than on patterns and protocols. When numbers gather, the libertine monkey sees this as his or her chance to perform in order for their skill and talent to begin to hold and entertain the crowd.

A Libertine Generation If Not Handled Carefully Will Trade The Spirit Of Worship For A Spirit Of Music. And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him. (1 Samuel 16:23) The next day an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved [madly] in his house, while David played [the lyre] with his hand, as at other times; and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. (1 Samuel 18:10) Here, we see Saul, the king of Israel, being plagued with demonic oppression, so much so that a young 21st century prophetic musician, (poetic licence being used here), arose with music in his heart playing the frequency of heaven, which not only brought peace into the atmosphere, but soothed the heart and mind of a mad, crazed and jealous king. David did not use his opportunity with the king to perform to him, showing him how good he was with a lyre, but instead used his time with the king to minister to him, a lesson that the libertine monkey has not yet understood. If a generation of musicians are allowed to ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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approach the king based on skill and talent rather than worshipping in spirit and in truth, then the door will open for a trade to take place ‐ a trade replacing God with the demonic. “We must remember that if David had to play heavenly music in order to drive an evil spirit out from the presence of Saul, then there is a good chance that if we play the wrong music then a wrong spirit could also re‐enter the house.” (Quote from Dr Tundi Bakari, GLS 2007) When the wrong spirit enters into the house, people begin to worship the human creator of the music rather than worship the creator God, which is demonic idolatry. Remember, the Libertine generation will by their nature push and shape for themselves an expression of what they perceive to be a culturally relevant church. When the monkeys are allowed to perform, they will perform to their rules and laws. The ‘monkey performing church’ is rapidly growing, so much so that it is opening branches worldwide in the hope of becoming a global enterprise. When this global enterprise reaches saturation point, an accepted style and method will have been created and established, and will have recruited thousands of clones who now think and perform in the same way, believing it to be the only way. Young people are the future of today’s church, not tomorrow’s as many suggest, but when you are young your energy, excitement and passion levels are at an emotional high, often confusing anointing for adrenalin. It is this energy and passion level that many celebrate proclaiming ‘They are only young. Give them a chance to learn!’ However, although this statement is true, we must bear in mind that as they are young, they must be trained and harnessed in order for a generation with a difference to arise. Looking at the church from a global perspective we see many different types of musicians taking centre stage in leading people, and as you see this, you quickly become aware that a culture with a difference has emerged before your very eyes. This is a culture that believes energetic melodies and riffs are what are needed in order to give a song both lift and drive, yet although many of the songs that are written and sung are excitable to a participating generation, they in themselves lack key technologies that lift, change or heal people whilst in the presence God. This is the culture that subtly incorporates contemporary music into a backdrop of worship. This is a culture that will write and have us sing contemporary songs, so much so that it is very plausible for you to be worshipping and yet not know who you are singing to, or what you are singing about. In essence, whenever you hear the word ‘contemporary’ it simply means in most cases ‘none participatory’ in that the congregation watches and listens whilst the artist performs. It is because of this subtlety creeping in to the house that the spirit of worship is in danger of slowly being replaced by a different spirit. With regard to ‘excellence’, the Libertine generation has completely misunderstood this. Instead of being captivated and consumed by a spirit of excellence, excellence is used as a way of competing with others. When the spirit of competition enters the house another spirit will begin to determine the function of the ‘who and the how’s’ of doing church. It would seem that in a day of cultural relevance, we have become more obsessed with whom and how we are portraying ourselves before our peers, rather than focusing on ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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the One whom we are representing and claim to be in love with. The libertine monkey generation concentrates its efforts in giving the people a church experience, rather than a God encounter. The language of the monkey is what I term as being ‘spiritically correct’, (a term combining ‘spiritual’ with ‘political’), as it is totally image‐driven in order to appeal to the cultural, political and spiritual audience. More and more in the western church, we see image and fashion becoming the centrality, which are subtle signs that the house of God is being invaded by the libertine philosophical monkey generation. There is only one reason why fashion wants to take centrality and that is because the person behind the fashion views the stage as his/her place in which to perform rather than lead. Sadly, in many cases we have been found to have opened up the door allowing another spirit to enter into the house and the people of God can no longer tell the difference. This philosophy of being culturally relevant is appealing to the masses in such a way that we now tailor‐make our programmes to suit the crowd, rather than bless the One who has the power to change the crowd. This is totally wrong as we must never allow the crowd to bring us to the place where we are allowed to sing about the Christ but never allowed to touch Him.

Learn The Lesson Of Marriage •

‘VARIABLE’: The English Dictionary describes the word ‘variable’ as being ‘behaviour, emotions and opinions that lack consistency and are therefore fickle’

Today within the western world at large, most young couples have experienced sexual interaction long before they get married, which is a sad sign of the present times in which we live. Because of such promiscuity, many couples enter into marriage relationships either scarred or abused. The libertine monkey functions based on the power of emotions and because of this he operates with an ‘urge to merge’ mentality, which is nothing more than man seeking selfish pleasure through the use of his loins. Remember, the libertine monkey is degenerate and does not like rules, guidelines or protocol, making him a wild animal. I have used the parallel of sex with the Libertine monkey generation not in order to be crude or insensitive, but to highlight the power of a corrupt nature and the lengths it will go to gain self‐ gratification. The young want everything now; they want to be excited today and because of this the thought of intimacy or the creating of an atmosphere is never considered as being important. The bride that was once young ten or twenty years ago, elegantly walking down the aisle declaring ‘I do’, has now changed and she no longer responds to or is turned on by old techniques. As the bride matures, she begins to respond differently as now she no longer seeks thrills or gimmicks to gain fulfilment, but instead seeks fulfilment via an intimate atmosphere. Although the young will try and shape church into becoming a personal pleasure dome, the bride, which comprises an all age generation church, will not always keep responding to quick interaction. As a result of this, many parts of the wider body bride of Christ are seeking intimacy via a God‐filled atmosphere rather than love on a rollercoaster ride. Worship isn’t about man singing songs so that God will respond to man’s needs, hurts, wants or desires. This is a wrong perspective of worship, which if allowed to continue will ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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make the church no different than the self‐seeking libertine monkey. True worship is God’s way of encouraging the bride as to how she is to respond to the needs of the groom. The vow of loving, protecting and cherishing, ‘forsaking all others as long as we both shall live’, still applies to the bride today, as it is a covenantal promise and one that must be kept. It is this covenantal promise that must be imparted into the libertine monkey so that he no longer uses music for his own self‐seeking pleasure, but creates worship based on his covenantal love and desire for his Maker.

Conclusion Taking the above into account, we must continue to use the vessels, (materials), that God has placed within the house regardless of age, colour or background. The vessels also include the libertine monkey, as described in 2 Timothy 2:20: ‘But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, some for honourable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]’ (The Amplified Version). Before the stage is given, regardless of musical expertise, colour or background, a clear picture and understanding of what the church is becoming must be built into those that are being given leadership responsibility. People must be taught that in order for the house to become great, motives, agendas and talents have to yield to the hand of the Master Builder. A house does not become great simply because of gift or talent, but because of the lives that are being fashioned individually and corporately by the Potter’s hand. The house must raise a company of honourable vessels, filled with honour for God as well as honour for the man of God and the work they partner in alongside of him. If this mentality is not firmly integrated into the hearts of those leading, then my friend, we will keep on feeding the monkeys as they continue playing before their respective audiences. It is because of the subtlety of this that I now turn your attention towards building and integrating some guidelines into the house through song‐writing, in order that a platform altar of sacrificial purity is created. Musical background and expertise should not give any one single person any more leverage than is absolute necessary, as the issue here is not expertise but spiritual protocol. Please remember that as the pastor/leader of the church you must begin watching very carefully both how and what your monkeys are listening to, for what they listen to they will begin to replicate, and it is the power of replication that potentially opens the way for the wrong type of trade to arise within the house. It is because of this that our attention must be given to the protection of the altar, ensuring that acceptable sacrifices are being continually offered, along with the presence of God being drawn.

What is a Song? A song is a musical vehicle created by man, enabling him to express his love and feelings towards that which has internally captured his heart and thoughts. When his heart and thoughts have been musically expressed, he is then internally released, enlarged and blessed by the experience. (Pastor Tony Higginson) ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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What are Songs of the House? Songs of the house are not just songs written by people attending the house, but are written by people who have captured the spirit of the senior leader along with capturing the spirit and intent of heaven itself. When the song‐writer becomes in sync with both of these two dynamics, his or her creativity produces a resource tool for the pastor /worship leader to begin using in order that a divine gateway to heaven is opened over the house. When these songs are used accurately, they enable people to begin seeing, hearing, touching and holding that which they are proclaiming and worshipping. (Pastor Tony Higginson)

Seven Types of Songs That Must Be Written In order to keep the spirit pure within the house, the following directives are given ‐ not to kill and stifle the flow, but rather to guide and enhance the centrality of the purpose of the house. Style is style, and for each songwriter the style will vary. However, having said this, the following guidelines, although not given to inhibit or contain any one particular style, are designed to ensure that one style or expression does not become the centrality in itself. 1. Prophetic, Declarative Songs: Songs that speak of God’s present and future intent. 2. Songs of Love and Intimacy: Songs that express and encourage intimacy with both God and His people. When intimacy is embraced, people begin to approach God with confidence and hope. 3. Songs of Adoration: Songs that describe both His beauty and majesty. 4. Songs of Thanksgiving: Songs that sing of what God has done for us, along with the grace He has shown us. 5. Songs of Triumph: Songs that sing of the victories won and overcome through Christ. 6. Breakthrough Songs: Songs that cause faith and hope to rise, bringing people to a new level of faith and position in Christ. 7. Songs of Deliverance: Songs that when sung bring a supernatural release in both the spirit and soul of a person, resulting in wholeness, healing and deliverance being given.

The Four Building Blocks of a Song 1) Message Message must not be confused with lyrics, as the message is what you are trying to convey through the song. Words carry a distinct spirit, and because of this, the lyrics of the song must not deviate from the spirit of the song. It is important that the message be first captured within the heart and spirit of the writer before it can be conveyed to those worshipping. If the song is meant to be a song of the house then the song’s message must support that which God is promising to do or is actually currently doing in the house. This is called a ‘song in season’ as it captures what God is currently doing within the midst.

2) Mood ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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Mood is very different from atmosphere simply because mood asks the question ‘How does the individual feel about the song that they are singing?’ Everything in the song must lift people’s spirits higher. If the melody and harmony dovetail together, the worshipper will capture the same spirit as the writer. It is possible to sing two songs that both create the same atmosphere but yet create two very different moods, so be very careful.

3) Style Style must enhance the worship rather than taking centre stage. Style can originate from one’s ethnic culture or out of personal preference, but style must never be allowed to obstruct the flow of the spirit.

4) Atmosphere Atmosphere is that which the song portrays. The words of a song may be lyrically sound but the general feel of the song causes people to feel heavy, sad and despondent. If this happens it will create a certain and distinct atmosphere that will either hinder or enhance the flow of the spirit. It is because of this that we must understand that every song written or sung, whether consciously or unconsciously, sets an atmosphere.

Tangible Elements of a Song

FORM: the shape of the song LYRICS: the words MELODY: the tune HARMONY: chord structure and voice structure RHYTHM: the beat

These five components are the building blocks of a song, but the question of which element is the most important will depend on what you want your song to say and do. Always remember when writing a song, to first ask yourself ‘What do you want your song to say?’ Based on this answer, you will be able to then determine the mood, atmosphere and style that best portrays this.

Where Does My Inspiration Come From?

1. ‘He who has an ear let him hear what the spirit is saying to the church’ (Revelation 2:11, 2:17 ‐ 2:29 and 3:28). He who can hear what the spirit is saying to the church can also write the necessary songs needed for that which God is saying to the church. ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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2. You have to fully incline your ears and heart towards that which is being preached from the pulpit. The song‐ writer’s gift is not summed up in how well he/she can write and articulate their words, but rather in how well the spirit of a person can capture the moment, expression and intent of God’s heart. 3. It may be a phrase that the pastor or speaker uses, or a scripture that is read. It is you the individual that must capture in one sentence that which God is saying at that moment. The way you hear what is being spoken to you is unique to you personally. Not everyone is receiving it on the same frequency or waveband as we are all set up differently. This difference in internal setup will ultimately define and determine both the content and style of the songs that each person writes. 4. During times of corporate breakthrough prayer and worship, the song‐writer must listen to the concerns of the leadership’s heart. Watch and listen to what they pray and how they pray, because this is an indication of the urgency and intensity that the spirit is emphasising at that specific moment or season. It is important to watch how the intensity of the spirit leads people into worship and to listen to the cries of the people, as this again is an indication of where God is moving. If the writer watches and takes the same concerns into their heart, they become a Holy Ghost voice tool which becomes instrumental in expressing the heart and mind of God in a Kairos season. If the songs can become a ‘third voice’ so to speak, (meaning God, then the pastor’s voice, followed by the song), then they can become instrumentally strategic and useful in helping the people move forward in the move of God within the house. When people catch the spirit of worship, the songs sung begin showing people that God is not only in the house but is actually moving within the midst. Take care what you listen to (Mark 4:21‐25)

Take care how you listen (Luke 8:18)

Take care whom you listen to (Genesis 3:10‐12) (Dr Jonathan David)

Creating a Flow Whilst Writing a Song

Pray before you sit down and begin writing: It might not make a big difference but what it potentially does is allow you to tune your spirit into heaven’s frequency. When this happens, thoughts, melodies, riffs and so on, begin dropping into your spirit man.

‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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If possible find an inspirational co‐partner: Rogers and Hammerstein, Lennon and McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimmy and Carol Owen – to name but a few, were all known as being phenomenal song‐ writers because they found a musical co‐partner with whom to dovetail their God‐given creativity.

Don’t try and write the American Bill of Rights: In other words keep your song simple and not too word heavy as this kills the flow of all songs. Often, people try to preach their life’s sermon in a song. When this happens, you will find that though you the writer may be having fun with it, the people singing it begin holding back, simply because they find the words are either too fast or too long, or they have no gaps which allows them to breathe. Write as often as you can: Whether on a bus, on a train or a plane ‐ write, write, and write until something is birthed.

Think about the message you are writing: Is the message one of love, intimacy, victory, war or breakthrough? All of these types of songs need thinking about before you begin to write. Very often when a song is being birthed, people receive either the melody or just one line of the song first. It doesn’t matter which one comes first. Think about the message that you are going to convey and how you think it should be best conveyed, and when you have done this let the music interpret it as best as you can.

Listen, analyse and rewrite: Listen to your song, pull it apart and analyse it thoroughly until you are convinced that you have taken the song as far as you can take it. The art of any writing, whether it is books, articles or songs, is to write and then rewrite until you have said it and can’t say anymore.

Be the person that God has gifted you to be: Although above I mention writers who are famous, fame is not our aim, but being effective is. Famous people can inspire us, although having said this, we must remember that we are not them and they are not us. It is fair to say that we have all been influenced musically at some time, and because of this we must remember that we as song‐writers and musicians are in a state of metamorphosis. Although your style may originally sound like Paul McCartney it will, if given time to breathe, go beyond this, eventually developing you into an original artist rather than a copy.

What must my song contain?: Your song must contain certain key elements; elements that make Christ the centrality. Writing Christian music is much harder than writing secular music simply because in a secular song you don’t need a message, content or theme and you can fill your song with ‘yeah, yeah, na... na… na…. do... do daah’ and the like. The glue or the ‘hook’, so to speak, in a Christian song must therefore have a compound listing, comprising easy‐ to‐ learn and easy‐flowing words, words which ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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are easy to remember and at times a little repetitive, words that have a hook ‐ a hook being something that keeps the congregation there. It must have words and a melody that lifts people’s spirits higher; words and a melody that draw the presence of God down into the midst, and words and a melody that help people capture, enlarge and envision a greater sense of the majesty and beauty of God.

Be Careful Not to Pollute the Spirit of Worship by Replacing it With a Spirit of Music! Worship is the launching pad to help people touch the presence of God. It is because of this that the writer must be careful and not get carried away, simply writing riffs, tunes and melodies and thinking they are the centrality of your song, and are therefore critical components needed in order for the congregation to worship. Though melodies and riffs are great, and at times essential to encourage the flow of a song, we must not miss what God is trying to say to us through the song. The music must never take centre stage from the song, for as we sing the song it must speak of and lead us to a divine place of exchange. Music, if we are not careful, can become too complicated and detailed, and as a result people end up pulling back from worship, choosing instead to listen and clap rather than enter in. As previously stated, when the music takes centre stage, another spirit begins entering into the house, that of idolatry, and as we know there cannot be two altars in the house.

A question that must be asked after a song has been written is ‘Does this song help people to reach out and touch God, or are people merely being moved by the melody and sentiment?’

The congregation should never be viewed as an audience as this will lead to passive worship as well as a spirited performance. Our worship must provoke joy, gladness and spontaneity from those participating in it. The songs written must become tools that help people to touch the heart of God, rather than be used for simply blessing the congregation.

Your Creativity is There to be Shaped, Shared and Challenged 1) When a song is written and shared with other people, it is the writer’s personal and individual creativity that is being laid on the line, and therefore if any criticism is taken personally the writer will never progress. ‘Don’t Feed The Monkeys’ Pastor Tony Higginson © Bethel Christian Centre, Manchester, England 2008

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2) Any shaping, developing and challenging must not be done via a critical spirit, as to pull down is not our aim. The spirit in the team must be constructive rather than destructive. 3) Not every song written or shared will be everyone’s personal cup of tea, so to speak, and because of this songs are sometimes better ‘felt than telt’. This is a Scottish term which means ‘it’s not until something is tried and tested that its impact is felt’. (In other words, give it a platform and see if the people can flow with it). 4) God isn’t moved by a written song. He is, however, moved and drawn by the spirit of truth emanating from within the worshipper. It is possible to sing the words of truth but, the vehicle behind the words be full of deceit and bitterness. The illustration that best serves me here is the one of the thermal imaging camera. The thermal imaging camera is used by police forces around the world and is highly effective in combating the war on crime. Often when a criminal is on the run from the police they seek to hide in locations such as fields or forestry, in the hope that the dark of night and the surrounding of trees will provide for them the necessary camouflage needed to escape being captured by the authorities. It is at this point that a helicopter with thermal heat imaging camera is used in order to detect the body’s heat, hence the term ‘thermal heat imaging camera’. As the worshipper begins expressing spiritual truths, heaven’s thermal imaging sensor can pick up that which is being sacrificially offered up from the ground, causing God Himself to move towards the worshipper.

5) If the song is all about the writer, including words such as ‘I’ and ‘me’, then this is not necessarily a song based on corporate truth but rather personal truth. When this type of song is written, it should not necessarily be viewed as a song of the corporate house but rather a song that has originated from one’s personal experience. Although we must make room for this expression, personal experience is simply personal experience and not necessary a true portrayal of what God is doing and saying corporately. To some degree using the words ‘I’ and ‘me’ are inevitable, as they give the worshipper a sense of identification, but an over‐emphasis can be used, hence why I outline the importance and distinction between the spirit of truth over one’s personal experience.

6) When any song is written, it is at best 10% to 15% God‐inspired, with the remaining 85% to 90% man‐ crafted. If we say it is all God‐inspired and yet the song written is one that nobody likes, can we then declare ‘God wrote it!’ denying any responsibility? Although this might sound humble by not wanting to take credit, credit is not the issue here but rather the taking of responsibility.

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The above guidelines are written in order to keep both the spirit and altar clean and pure within the house. There is a more detailed list of how one can begin to open up the portal or gate over the house of God during times of worship in my new book, entitled ‘Spiritual Technologies – Upgrading, Realigning and Empowering the 21st Century Church’. There is a lot of fun to be experienced by writing songs, but we need to be aware that we can have lots of fun with songs and yet find that they lack the necessary power for drawing the Christ Himself into our midst. If this is your current experience then you as the pastor, or zoo keeper, must begin to do something about it today, for if after reading this you have discovered that you have some libertine monkeys of your own, then why not begin reversing this trend by simply hanging a clear distinct sign on the altar saying: “In The Interest Of Public Health, We, The Senior leadership, Joyfully Announce To You The Church Today, That The Platform Libertine Monkey Will Not Be Performing On Stage Any Longer.”

Written by Pastor Tony Higginson for all Isaac Network Pastors worship leaders & musicians

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