When Praise Leads the Exodus

Expose on the State of the Modern-Day American Church - Article Four

"Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers, with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy." 1 Chronicles 15:16

We are standing in the middle of a spiritual crisis—not just in the world but within the Church. The storm has come. The waves of compromise are crashing over the bow. And just like Peter, the Church must either step out of the boat with eyes fixed on Jesus or sink under the weight of cultural idolatry, performance-based religion, and dead liturgy.

But there is hope.

In St. George, Utah, there is still a remnant. There is still a sound. There is still a weapon. WE CANNOT FEAR STEPPING OUT OF THE BOAT. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and BEHOLD OUR KING.

It is PRAISE, and there is a TEAM. Not performance. Not branding. Not fog machines or stage lighting. Pure, Spirit-filled, Christ-exalting praise from talented people anoited to lead praise.

"And He said, 'Come!' And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and when he began to sink, he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!'" Matthew 14:29–30

The Revelation of Jesus Christ gives us seven divine letters to seven real churches—each a mirror for our time. The common thread? Jesus is watching. He is inspecting the lampstands. And He has not gone silent.

To Ephesus: You left your first love.
To Sardis: You look alive but are dead.
To Laodicea: You are lukewarm, and I will spit you out.

But to Philadelphia? "I have placed before you an open door which no one can shut."

In St. George, Jesus is placing such a door. The elders have compromised. The pastors have hidden behind their brands. But the Praise Teams—God's secret weapon—are still standing.

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9

The Hidden Heroes – Why Praise Teams Matter More Than Ever

"Then the Lord said, 'Because this people approaches Me with their words and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of the commandment of men that is taught;'" Isaiah 29:13

There was a time when the Levites carried the Ark of the Covenant. When the presence of God moved, they moved. They didn’t ask permission from priests entrenched in the politics of temple control. They didn’t look for approval from Sadducees protecting their salaries. They moved when God moved. They praised when God spoke. And the Glory followed them.

Fast forward to the modern church.

Today, those Levites have become praise teams. Behind closed doors, they battle burnout, jealousy from pastors and elders, platform politics, and the demands of digital excellence. They rehearse more than they rest. They memorize chord charts but never forget to soak in the secret place. They are elevated on stages but often ignored in decisions by the hirelings. But here’s the truth:

God sees them.

And He is calling them out of compromise.

There is a cry rising from heaven: "Come out of her, My people" (Revelation 18:4). The "her" is Babylon. The system. The spiritual adultery. The mixture of Spirit and flesh has seduced the modern church.

Praise Leaders, God is not asking for your permission. He has already given you a commission. Separate and COME OUT OF HER.

Come out of Babylon.

You are not a backdrop. You are Jesus's battering ram. You are not background music. You ARE the battle cry.

The Snake Behind the Pulpit and the Stage-Filled Sanctuary

"The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." Revelation 2:7

Let’s get brutally honest. Most churches in St. George, Utah—and America—would collapse if the worship teams stopped playing. You know I am telling the truth. No one goes to hear the pastor.

Test it.

Tell the worship leaders to take one month off. Turn off the subwoofers. Cut the ambient lights. Shut down the livestream feed. Let’s see who shows up. YouTube is much better. Any "Sunday YouTuber" is better, providing more truth. Pick anyone.

You already know the result of the test, and you can't imagine crushing egos like that.

Because what we call Sunday "worship" is often just a curated experience to make up for the pastor’s shortfall. It’s a formula: four songs, transitions, call to giving, sermon, altar call. The goal? Retain attention. Retain attendance. Retain the tithe.

But that is not worship. That is consumer conditioning dressed up in spiritual lingo, and everyone knows it. Praise Teams, are you finished with being prostituted for the pastor's poor teaching skills, lack of depth, and lack of spiritual transformation? You are not alone, but you are anointed and appointed to lead, so lead.

Praise Teams are being used.

Used to set the mood.
Used to entertain the crowd.
Used to give the illusion of the Holy Spirit.

But no one tells them the truth, but they know it. Here is the cold facts... if the band leaves, the tithes leave. If the mood isn’t set, the sermon feels flat. If the lights don’t dim, people won’t raise their hands.

This is not the house of God. This is Babylon’s stage. It is a game and it must stop! Praise Leaders, you are allowing it.

So, it's time to tear it down, don't you think?

Jesus is not impressed with fog machines. He doesn’t anoint chord progressions. He doesn’t bless musical manipulation. He is looking for worshippers in Spirit and in Truth. That's you Praise Team. Stand up and say no more!

Truth requires exposure. Truth demands repentance. Truth calls for purity.

The stage has become a high place. The pulpit, the throne of ego. The sanctuary is a showroom for performances. But the true sanctuary is not built by lights, lyrics, or hands. It is built by lives laid down and resurrection power.

Let the true praise leaders return to the altar to worship and lead. You are the last remaining barrier.

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24

The Letters to the Churches Are Letters to Us

Each letter to the churches in Revelation 2–3 is not just a history lesson. It is a divine diagnosis. And like a skilled surgeon, Jesus exposes the sickness before offering the cure.

To Ephesus: “You have left your first love.” Praise without love is a hollow sound.
To Pergamum: “You tolerate false teaching.” Praise without discernment is compromise.
To Thyatira: “You tolerate Jezebel.” Praise without purity becomes manipulation.
To Sardis: “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” Praise without the Spirit is a show.
To Laodicea: “You are lukewarm.” Praise without fire makes Jesus sick.

But to each He offers mercy: “Repent.”

Jesus doesn’t cancel. He corrects.

The Church in America—and especially the church in St. George—is now being weighed in the balance. And only those who heed these letters in Revelation will overcome.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:22

St. George – A Prophetic Microcosm

"And I searched for a man among them who would build up a wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30

In St. George, Utah, the landscape is beautiful—but the spiritual climate is smothered in silence.

Silence from pastors who have been bought and silenced by comfort. It's a great place to retire, they say. But silence from elders who won’t confront sin because they fear man. Silence from churches too busy polishing their brand to pick up their cross.

And yet, under the surface, there’s a pulse—a trembling sound in the soil.

The Praise Teams.

While pastors measure metrics, the singers weep. While elders argue budgets, the drummers battle burnout. While leaders protect programs, the vocalists cry out to be heard—not by men, but by heaven.

Picture this: a keyboardist arrives early Sunday morning, fighting anxiety from a week of church politics. A teenage vocalist puts down her phone and picks up her Bible backstage, desperate for something real. A seasoned worship leader looks into the congregation and sees the lights bouncing off empty eyes—and silently prays for revival in the midst of performance.

They are not weak. They are not rebellious. They are READY.

But they need a call.

Praise leaders in St. George, the time has come. The Spirit is saying:

Come out. Gather. Weep. Pray. Consecrate. Rebuild.

Not with ambition—but with ashes. Not for applause—but for awakening.

“Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation…” Joel 2:15–16

Praise is Warfare – Always Has Been, Always Will Be

"Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened." Acts 16:25–26

Praise is not ambiance. It is not a warmup act. It is not a performance, a playlist, or a genre.

Praise is WARFARE. We can and should praise, ALL OF US, together as ONE. Can you imagine? I can... but we have to get passed the jealousy, division, and egos of the pastors.

When Paul and Silas sang in that prison, chains fell off. When the Levites led the charge in 2 Chronicles 20, their enemies self-destructed. When the people of God lifted their voice in one accord, the fire of heaven fell on the altar.

True praise silences the accuser. True praise breaks demonic bondage. True praise makes room for the King of Glory to come in.

It is not about being on pitch. It is about being on fire.

Praise Teams, if you’re not seeing breakthroughs in your church, maybe it’s because your praise has been diluted into entertainment. It’s time to declare war.

Sing like the prison walls are about to shake. Drum-like demons are about to flee. Bow like your whole city depends on it—because it does.

“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir…and they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles 20:22

A Call to the Mic-Carriers, the Guitar-Holders, and the Harmonizers

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong, so that no human may boast before God." 1 Corinthians 1:27–29

You were not born for fog machines. You were not set apart for stage lights and Spotify spins. You were called to carry and shine HIS glory. You were commissioned to confront darkness.

You’re the psalmists of this generation. You’re the ones the devil fears—not because of your range or rhythm, but because of your authority.

But here’s the catch: the anointing does not rest on the gifted. It rests on the surrendered.

It’s time to drop the facade. Stop dressing up bondage with nice boots and a bridge-and-chorus. Get off the stage and on your face. If you can’t weep over the pastors, elders, and the city, you have no business leading it in song.

One by one, praise leaders in St. George must make a choice:

Will you keep being the soundtrack to spiritual sleepwalking? Or will you become the sound that wakes the Bride?

The first step isn’t a new song. It’s repentance.

“Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children… Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers, weep between the porch and the altar.” Joel 2:16–17

How to Birth a Citywide Movement of Praise Without Permission

"Is this not the fast that I choose: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?" Isaiah 58:6

Repent First - Find your secret place. Not for a song set, but for a soul search. Cry out. Let the Spirit purge the celebrity, the stage addiction, the fear of man.

Find the Others - There are other wounded warriors in other churches. Reach out—not to network, but to intercede. Gather in a living room. Not to plan a show, but to wait on the Lord.

Pick a Place - The field. The park. The city center. It doesn’t matter. Go where Jesus is welcome and the Spirit can breathe.

Sound the Alarm - Post it. Text it. Speak it. But make sure it is clear: this is not a concert. This is a consecration.

Praise Until the Prison Breaks

Don’t quit when it gets awkward. Don’t stop when it gets small. Worship until heaven opens. Preach the Gospel. Cast out demons. Watch God light the match.

“Is this not the fast which I choose… to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6

Let Praise Break the Chains of Babylon

"May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hands." Psalm 149:6

This is not hype. This is holy.

The Spirit of God is sounding the trumpet. The hirelings have failed. The elders have compromised. The pulpit has gone silent. But the praise leaders… they still have breath.

And let everything that has breath… PRAISE THE LORD.

You don’t need permission to obey Jesus. You don’t need applause to be faithful. You don’t need a brand to carry the presence of God.

You are Levites of the New Covenant. You are gatekeepers of glory. You are worship warriors sent to tear down strongholds.

So rise. Sing. Weep. War.

Let St. George be shaken not by a band, but by the Bride. Let the song of the surrendered drown out the sound of the system. Let the sound of repentance be louder than the volume of rebellion.

The King is coming.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6