Many professing Christians and church’s embrace Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) music today, of which a small percentage only use the lyrics and melody without the characteristic soft rock beat and rhythm of electric/bass guitars and drums. But either are equally bad. CCM musicians like Mark Hall and Casting Crowns are very popular in evangelicalism and other professing Christian groups, who present themselves as Christian but represent a different Jesus, gospel and spirit than that found in the Word of God (2 Cor 11:4). Scorners might not like their besties and ear tickling teachers tested, judged, reproved and exposed but Gods Word demands it (Eph 5:11; Ju 1:3; Rom 16:17). Rock music, and CCM is Rock music, doesn’t honour God, regardless of whether the word "Christian" is attached to it or not. God doesn’t lead people to do things against His Word and this is much beyond His Word.
The following Biblical assessment and criticism of what Hall purveys for false teachings in a video posted online (its possible Hall has made it private, since he is of the prevailing camp that Biblical criticism is too negative and must be rejected at all costs, what happens to be the theme of the actual video itself), may not be appealing to most people but it sure is to God because it is based on the truth of Scripture and not man's wisdom or logic, which is the "wisdom" Mark Hall portrays. Hall is a false teacher appealing to manmade devices and false doctrine to lure in the simple, which only succeeds in making false converts twofold children of hell — falling under Paul’s indictment in 2 Cor 11:12-15:
“But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
1. In the video Hall claims that,
“God is going to save the world. He’s going to win.”
This is universalism, which is entirely contrary to Scripture. God wants all men to be saved indeed (2 Pet 3:9) but the vast majority will not (Matt 7:13-14). In fact, practically no one will be saved (Lk 13:23-24) and its largely due to this sort of counterfeit “Christianity” presented by wolves like Mark Hall, who attempt to enter the sheepfold by another way (Jn 10:1-5). Of the billion people on earth in Noah's day, only 8 were saved. Of the hundreds of thousands of people that inhabited the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and other cities like it, only 3 were saved. The Bible is crystal clear that the last days are characterized as the days of Noah and Lot (Lk 17:26-30). Does that mean God doesn’t win but Satan? The world is under the sovereign control of God, but He doesn’t save people against their will. He will win because He has already won (1 Cor 15:55-57), but the end comes with almost complete apostasy (Lk 18:8; 2 Tim 3:1-9) and massive slaughter of majority of people (2 Th 1:7-9; Rev 14:18-20; 19:11-21).
2. Hall declares that we must,
“stop talking about things we’re against, and a little more about those things we’re for, then we start seeing God move.”
This is ear tickling nonsense, a seriously diabolical lie. God commands us to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Ju 1:3), to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,” to “speak the truth in love” (Eph 5:11; 4:14), for “Love Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;” (1 Cor 13:6).
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
I don't think we need to wonder what part of this negative passage of Scripture Hall doesn't like. Or what about 2 Tim 4:2, which follows in this very context,
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
We've got two out of three elements of preaching here coming up as negative. Things that God is against. But Hall doesn't like that, calling good evil and evil good. Their are dozens of more scripture that command reproving and rebuking and correcting. The Bible is loaded with commands to speak out against error, sin, things that are contradictory to Scripture, false doctrine, perversion of scripture including false interpretation, to mark/expose such things especially when committed in the public realm or are public knowledge (e.g. Matt 7:15; Rom 16:17-18; Gal 2:4-5; Phil 3:2, 17-19; Eph 5:11; Ju 1:3; 1 and 2 Tim; Ti 1:9-16; Rev 2-3; etc). Yes even the erroneous beliefs and Satanic lies of Mark Hall must be exposed to the obedience of the Bible and for Gods glory. But men that peddle lies and corruption, will speak lies about those warning of their lies. That doesn't change however what God requires. The Bible commands both the reproof and exposure of error and sin to stop their mouths (Ti 1:11). No professing believe should be listening to the false and fatal messages of heretics like Hall, which includes the corrupted message of their music. Scripture is loaded with commands to speak out about “things we’re against,” and removing this decree destroys large portions of the Bible. Listening to Hall won’t “see God move,” the very opposite of what he is saying, but Satan. And the devil is glorified in this wicked rebellion against God.
3. Hall argues that God has put us together (all professing believers) to reach the world, with our personalities, gifts and talents. He calls this “ministry,” and his part in this alleged plan is raucous worldly music. This also is a blatant Satanic lie.
First of all, there is NOT one place in all of scripture that proclaims to reach the world with music. 1 Cor 1:21 declares that “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Preaching, not singing. The Bible is clear that truth is promoted through “teaching and preaching” alone (Matt 4:23; 9:25; Ac 15:35; 28:31).
Second, even if there was a command for music ministry, it certainly wouldn’t be with ungodly, worldly and fleshly CCM music such as this. CCM comes with a seductive soft rock rhythm, sensual scooping and sliding breathy voice technique, a non-resolving cadence, shallow, non-convicting and mostly unBiblical message and repetition, all of which is carnal and strongly opposed by the truth of Scripture. People can meet and create an atmosphere to make others think the Holy Spirit is present, but if it’s not according to truth, it’s just a facade. That is what we see in Casting Crowns and all other CCM music.
“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” (Eph 5:6-8)
4. Hall declares,
“When we enter church, we’re not all seeing the same thing. We have different glasses on. We look at what’s going on in the world through the lens of our spiritual gifts, our passions, and that makes us different.”
Wow. The theologian of fleshly and worldly worship suddenly has an epiphany of extra-Biblical revelation. It is foolish heresy. Blatant lies. How on earth could there ever be unity in such a heretical environment of rebellion and unbelief?! It’s impossible! Where is the Spirit of God, Who is the Spirit of truth, in all this? This ungodly and foolish philosophy sheds much light on why “evangelical” churches are loaded with such disunity, every man doing what is right in his own eyes.
There are a lot of reasons for this erroneous philosophy (such as self imposed carnal music, any Bible perversion will do, disregard and rejection of what Gods Word says, apostasy, not knowing and believing what the words of God in the Word of God are and mean, etc); but the primary reason is a pandemic of unregenerate false professing believers. That is the foundation to all the other heresy. They don’t understand scripture or obey it. The unity that the Bible speaks of, which is completely opposed to what Hall is saying, and only applicable to true churches with true believers embracing sound doctrine, declares:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor 1:10).
This is the only unity God expects or requires, described also in the following verses, and its impossible outside of "all seeing the same thing," all having the same glasses on, all having the same doctrine: Rom 12:6; 15:6; Ac 2:42; 4:31-32; Eph 4:1-16; Phil 1:27; 2:1-4; 3:15-19; 4:1-2; Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 3:8-9. Though we are all different in our personalities, and praise the Lord for that, our doctrine, decrees, and practices are the same because we have the same Spirit of God dwelling in us and the same Bible by which we live. That is true of true born again Christians in a true Biblical church, but not true of "evangelicalism" as a whole, where you mostly have unsaved, unredeemed people playing Christianity in mostly false unbiblical Laodicea type of churches with loads of diverse and opposing doctrines.
True Biblical unity is about as rare as hens teeth in evangelical environments. Its also about as opposite as Hall’s "unity" can get, who also speaks of “taking a test of spiritual gifts to see where we stand in the body of Christ.” Wow. Where does the Bible say that?! These are just plain lies, Hall making up his own doctrine as he goes along, according to his deceitful lusts and feelings. To know our part in “the body of Christ” (which Biblically is ONLY local), requires obedience to God’s Word and thus walking in the Spirit, both of which require the new birth firstly. True Biblical unity is oneness, the same type of unity that God the Father has with His Son and the Holy Spirit (Jn 17:11, 21). These three are one in nature or essence, but also one in purpose (Jn 10:30), always in perfect obedience to their Word. Thats what true unity looks like.
Casting Crowns is terribly ecumenical, the antithesis of true unity. Their ecumenism and rebellion against Gods Word is crystal clear with massive amounts of examples that could be given, such as participation in the heretical National Worship Leader Conference in 2011, joining hands with serious apostates such as Jack Hayford who says God spoke to him directly and told him not to judge the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), and the apostate Leonard Sweet who promotes a wide variety of New Age and mystical heresies. Casting Crowns performed with Sanctus Real in Dec 2011. Matt Hammitt of Sanctus Real participated in the 2003 tour of the !Hero rock opera, which depicts Jesus as a cool black man, the Last Supper as a barbecue party and ‘Jesus’ is crucified on a city street sign. Sanctus Real and Steven Curtis Chapman played a concert in 2003 at St. Mary Seminary sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. In “What This World Needs” Casting Crowns attacks every Bible-believing “fundamentalist” church. The list is extensive in his ecumenical endeavours, a very common trait among “evangelicals,” and further examples can be seen by clicking here.
5. Hall is all about universal church, an invisible body of Christ made up of all believers in the world. There is not one such teaching found in Scripture. It’s pure fabrication made out of sheer cloth. But it perfectly ties into the unbiblical ecumenical philosophy of men like Hall. Most people are so immersed in neo-evangelical teachings, they’ve never questioned whether this a biblical concept or not. The truth is, the word church, meaning “assembly,” can only mean a local congregation; not a universal existence of Christians scattered all over the face of the earth. The word “universal” means “catholic,” from whence this doctrine derives, and it’s completely oxymoron when yoked to the word “church.” Its fully exposed here and here.
6. Hall corrupts Barnabas from Scripture, stating,
“Barnabas was the nicest guy in the NT, he was the ‘I’m ok, you’re ok, everything’s going to be fine, let’s just sit down and talk about this’.”
Barnabas was called “the son of consolation” but that doesn’t mean what Hall says here. He befriended Paul as a brother when no one else would, but that doesn’t imply he didn’t have a backbone and preach boldly and contend for the faith. We know he did because they all did in the Bible, those truly converted at least, and we have an example in Ac 13:46, where he “waxed bold” in his speech and sharply rebuked the unrepentant Jews. Bold denunciation of error and heresy and false teaching is commanded and its also natural when you have the indwelling Spirit of God. The truth is, Hall in fact hates the Barnabas's of Scripture and this world, and twisting his character to his own liking only further proves he is a false teacher.
Nowhere do we read that Barnabas was a compromiser or liberal and say “I’m ok, your ok and everything is going to be fine.” That’s perverting God’s Word and making it say something that it doesn’t. Hall continues,
“Today the Barnabas’ of the world claim that Peter was a little to hardcore, I don’t think he’s going to reach the world well.”
Barnabas first of all wouldn’t have had any issue with Peter's messages in Acts 2 (what Hall was referring to). Peter’s preaching was just normal preaching, and we see in v. 14 the other eleven apostles were behind him.
Secondly, who exactly are the “Barnabas’s of the world” that claim Peter was to hardcore? Definitely vast majority of “evangelicals,” and in all probability Hall himself.
Thirdly, I think the big issue here is true Bible preaching as noted in scripture but hated by Hall and majority of “evangelicals,” rejecting Gods Word for “Hall’s Great Words” due to his love for corrupted worship after the carnal flesh, all of which stems from a corrupt nature and false profession. The biggest issue with Hall is that his flesh, his old man, still isn’t crucified with Christ with its affections and lusts, something that occurs at salvation (Rom 6:6; Gal 2:20; 5:24). When that happens, if it'll ever happen, then Hall will stop rebelling against God's Word, and stop exchanging the truth of Scripture for the lies of man or the fabrication of his imagination.
7. Hall is a deceiver, a manipulator and a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s just the plain truth, whether you like it or not. His wisdom is far from God but it is humanistic, and man-centred logic. It is the same “wisdom” that we note in the lost religious Sadducees whom Christ reproved:
“Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matt 22:23)
8. Lastly, Hall's, Casting Crowns, music is not of God. Praise and worship must be regulated by Scripture alone (De 12:32) and “strange fire” in worship is everything “which He commanded . . . not” (Lev 10:1)—thus forbidden. The Lord warns mankind not to be snared into looking at what the wicked do, then saying, “even so will I do likewise” (De 12:30) in worship, the motto of most “evangelicals.” On the contrary, Scriptural worship is to be distinctly set apart, and holy, and different from that of the heathen and unbelieving culture not confined to men’s carnal desires. God instructs His people to sing spiritual songs (Col 3:16). Spiritual means holy. It refers to that which is separated unto a holy God from the unholiness of this world. What Hall and Casting Crown are singing is not holy or separated unto a Holy God, but sacrilegious and carnal.
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Rom 8:5-9).
The Bible tells us to “hate every false way” (Ps. 119:128) which then means we must hate this CCM stuff and reject professing “Christianity” that compromises and apostatizes with it. We must hate what they do and the way they do it, and the philosophy of ministry that it represents and and the way it misrepresents the God of the Bible, and the way it deceives the people with whom it is involved, and what it does to churches, and the way that it perverts a biblical or true understanding of spirituality and love, and the way it endorses false worship. We must not tolerate it or have anything to do with it. It's disgusting, of the face-in-palm kind. People that love this music should give careful heed to what this proverb warns:
“Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.” (Pr 13:13).
In conclusion, not only is their music worldly and unBiblical but so is their “Christianity,” blatantly disregarding and denying God’s Word. On practically every angle and with everything they say and do, they undermine the Bible and corrupt it. Practically nothing they say is true to Scripture. Hall doesn’t know the truth and is unable to rightly divide the word of truth, unlike all saved people (1 Jn 2:20-21, 27; Pr 8:8-9). The blind leading the blind and professing Christians that believe this garbage are just as blind as Mark Hall.
If you give ear to these apostates, or any other CCM musicians, you are partakers of their evil deeds (2 Jn 1:9-11). Born again believers are commanded however to,
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph 5:11).
People that follow this worldly, false “Christianity” are almost guaranteed to be unregenerate. If this is you, you must,
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Cor 13:5)
Sadly, spiritual reprobates,
"resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith." (2 Tim 3:8)
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