WORSHIP LEADER Dies and Jesus Reveals Six CHURCH SONGS that God ABHORS
Rebecca Hartwell, a worship leader from Austin, Texas, shares her incredible near-death experience testimony after dying for twenty-one minutes from a pulmonary embolism. During her time in heaven, Jesus Christ revealed shocking truths about worship music in modern churches that will change how you view praise and worship forever. In this powerful Near Death Experience testimony, Jesus showed her six specific types of church songs that God rejects, explaining why many congregations unknowingly sing music that never reaches heaven. This divine revelation exposes dangerous worship practices including songs without Holy Spirit inspiration, music with worldly rhythms, emotionally manipulative melodies, and hymns designed to showcase human talent rather than glorify God. Rebecca describes her heavenly encounter where Christ explained biblical worship principles and warned about end times deception through corrupted praise music. If you're a worship leader, pastor, or believer seeking genuine spiritual connection through song, this testimony offers critical insight into what truly pleases God in corporate worship settings. Discover how to discern anointed music from religious entertainment and learn the scriptural foundation for authentic praise that reaches the throne of God.
Readers are encouraged to pray to God for spiritual discernment.
Testimony: My name is Rebecca Hartwell.
I'm m 47 years old and I serve as the worship leader at Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Austin, Texas.
What I'm about to share with you will shake everything you thought you knew about the songs we sing in our churches today.
Nine months ago, I died for 21 minutes after suffering a massive pulmonary embolism caused from my leg straight to my lungs.
And during those 21 minutes, Jesus Christ himself showed me shocking truths about the worship music we're singing in churches across this nation.
What he revealed to me about the songs we lift up in our services is going to terrify you, and I pray it changes forever the way you worship.
But before we dive in ....
Let's have an open and honest discussion so we can learn from each other on this channel.
I was leading worship at my church in Austin when it happened. Right in the middle of singing oceans, my lungs simply stopped working.
The doctors said the blood clot was so massive that it blocked nearly all the oxygen from reaching my brain.
One moment I was singing about walking on water, and the next moment I was literally dying on the church floor.
The paramedics worked on me for what felt like an eternity.
But clinically speaking, I was dead for twenty-one (21) complete minutes.
The instant my brain stopped functioning, I found myself standing in the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life.
It wasn't like anything you could imagine from earthly descriptions.
There was light everywhere, but it wasn't blinding or painful.
It was warm and welcoming, like being embraced by pure love itself.
And then I heard his voice.
"Rebecca."
I turned around, and there he was.
Jesus Christ.
Exactly as I'd always imagined him, but somehow more real than anything Id ever experienced.
His eyes held so much love and compassion, but also a seriousness that made me understand immediately that what he was about to show me was critically important.
And the moment I found myself in his presence, I knew I was in trouble.
Not because I wasn't saved, but because Jesus looked at me with such sadness in his eyes.
And the first words he spoke to me were. "Rebecca, do you know what you've been doing to my people with the music? You've been leading them to sing?"
I was confused.
I thought I was serving God faithfully through music.
But Jesus continued.
"My daughter," he said, "I brought you here because there's something the church needs to understand, something about worship that has been hidden from my people for far too long."
He gestured, and suddenly we were standing in what looked like a vast library.
But instead of books on the shelves, there were what appeared to be scrolls of light.
Each scroll seemed to pulse with different rhythms and melodies.
"These," Jesus explained, "represent every song that has ever been sung in my name. But see, Rebekah, not every song sung in my name actually reaches me."
He showed me some scrolls that glowed brilliantly, while others appeared dull and lifeless.
In Amos, chapter 5, verse 23, the Father said, "Take away from me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps."
The Father actually rejected their worship songs, calling them noise.
This , This is still happening in churches today.
My heart sank as l began to understand what he was telling me.
"There are six types of songs, Jesus continued, "that believers sing in churches thinking they're worshiping God. But these songs actually push them away from the Father's presence. I want you to take this message back to my people because they need to understand how to truly worship God."
Jesus led me to a section where the scrolls looked beautiful on the outside.
But when I looked closer, they appeared hollow inside.
"The first type of dangerous song,' Jesus said, "are songs that aren't inspired by the Holy Spirit. Many believers assume that any music written by a Christian that mentions my name is automatically sacred. But that's a dangerous assumption that has led countless Christians to sing music that carries no divine anointing whatsoever."
He showed me visions of modern recording studios where worship songs were being created using the same techniques and formulas as secular music.
I watched as songwriters crafted lyrics designed to be catchy and emotionally stimulating rather than spirituallý powerful.
"Look at Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 18 and 19," Jesus said.
And suddenly the words appeared before us as if written in the air.
And do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.
"Notice the word 'from the Spirit'," Jesus emphasized.
"Paul wasn't referring to sacred music in a general sense, but specifically to that which flows directly from God's Spirit."
Jesus then showed me something that broke my heart.
I saw churches filled with people singing songs that sounded beautiful but carried no spiritual power.
The people were emotionally moved, but there was no presence of God in their worship.
" Not every song written by a Christian is necessarily inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jesus explained.
Many popular worship songs today sound spiritual but were created using purely human methods.
They can entertain people and even make them feel spiritual emotions, but they cannot facilitate genuine worship that God receives.
"How can people discern if a song is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit?", I asked.
"First," he replied , "examine the fruit. Does the song merely stir emotions, or does it facilitate a real encounter with God's presence? Does it align perfectly with Scripture, not just in isolated phrases, but in its entire message and theology?"
"Was it born from genuine prayer and fellowship with God, or was it manufactured to achieve commercial success?"
"These songs can entertain people and even make them feel spiritual emotions, but they cannot facilitate genuine worship that God receives. "
Jesus led me to another area where the scrolls looked beautiful on the outside but seemed to contain confusing, swirling patterns instead of clear text.
The second type of dangerous song, Jesus explained, includes songs that sound spiritual but lack solid biblical foundation.
Paul referred to the word of Christ dwelling richly in believers.
Biblical worship is an extension and expression of biblical truth.
Jesus then showed me the psalms, and I could see how they were completely scriptural, addressing God's nature, his character, his actions, and his relationship with his people.
Many popular church songs today contain problematic theology that subtly shifts people's understanding of God away from biblical truth, Jesus revealed.
Some songs promote an inadequate understanding of who God is, how He operates, or what the proper relationship between God and humanity should be.
When a worship leader wants to lead a song in another language or in tongues, they should interpret or explain what the song means.
People should not simply repeat words without knowing what they mean, especially when they're singing.
They could be singing to some other power.
Jesus directed my attention to 1 Corinthians, chapter 14, verse 15, where Paul writes , so what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.
Biblical worship always involves both spirit and understanding. Jesus emphasized
When people sing words they don't understand, especially in corporate settings, they're not following the biblical pattern for worship.
This can open.doors to spiritual confusion or even demonic influence.
Jesus showed me how music has always carried ritual weight.
The Hebrew word zamar , often translated as sing or praise, literally means to pluck the strings to make music accompanied by voice, specifically with lyrics that celebrate and proclaim truth about God's character and actions.
"Some modern worship," Jesus said, " includes mantras or repetitive phrases that have more in common with Eastern meditation techniques than with biblical worship.
Jesus led me to another section where the scrolls appeared stained and distorted.
The third type of dangerous song, he said, "Are songs with worldly melodies and rhythms.
In Amos, chapter 5, verse 23, God said, "Take away from me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps. "
God wasn't rejecting their worship because the lyrics were wrong, but because the spiritual condition behind the music and the musical form itself had become corrupted.
The Hebrew word for noise here is hamon, which implies a tumultuous or confused sound , music that had lost its sacred distinction.
Jesus showed me modern churches where they were simply taking worldly musical styles and adding lyrics about Jesus.
But God has always called his people to be distinct in everything, including their music.
Jesus reminded me of how God instructed Israel to be distinct from the surrounding nations in everything from diet to clothing to worship practices.
The Hebrew concept of kadesh , or holiness, literally means to be separate, distinct, and different.
When the church simply adopts musical forms from the world and adds Christian lyrics, it fails, to maintain this sacred distinction.
But it's not just about musical styles, Jesus continued.
Certain beat patterns and rhythms were developed specifically to stimulate sensual feelings.
Simply adding lyrics about Jesus to these musical forms doesn't purify their spiritual effect.
Jesus reminded me of how God instructed Israel to be distinct from the surrounding nations.
Jesus led me to another disturbing section where the scrolls seemed to be spinning with bright, flashy colours but had no substance in them.
The fourth type of dangerous song, Jesus said includes songs that prioritize emotional experience over divine truth.
These songs are designed primarily to create intense feelings rather than communicate solid biblical truth or facilitate genuine encounter with God.
"The problem is not that emotions are bad," Jesus clarified.
God-created emotions, and they have a legitimate place in worship.
The problem arises when emotional experience becomes the primary goal.
Instead of knowing and responding to the truth about who God is, Jesus showed me something that absolutely terrified me.
I saw how emotional experiences could be manufactured through musical techniques, link lighting and crowd psychology with or without the Holy Spirit's involvement.
And then he showed me Satan, using this to deceive churches.
Satan understands this and has weaponized it against the church.
Jesus revealed creating worship experiences that feel spiritual but lack divine substance.
Emotions are an easily manipulated aspect of human beings.
He showed me King David, the Bible's prototype of worship, who composed psalms that covered the full range of human experience but always anchored those emotions in divine truth.
Even when expressing deep sorrow or questioning, Jesus observed, David always returned to the solid ground of God's character, covenant, and commandments.
Many modern worship songs focus almost exclusively on what God does for people rather than focus on who God is in Himself.
This is a dangerous inversion of priorities that can lead to man centered worship instead of God centered worship.
What Jesus showed me next disturbed me even more disturbing.
I saw how some worship songs were designed to make people feel good about themselves rather than help them encounter God in reverence and awe.
True worship, Jesus said, should lead people into an encounter with God's holiness, which naturally produces both wonder and conviction.
When music is designed only to make people feel good, it fails in its higher purpose.
Jesus led me to a new section where the scrolls glowed brightly.
But when I looked closer, I realized the glow came from artificial lights around them, not from the scrolls themselves.
The fifth type of dangerous song, Jesus said with sadness in his voice, includes songs designed to showcase the performer's talents instead of directing attention to God.
These songs may contain correct theology and appropriate musical styles, but their arrangement, complexity and presentation serve to highlight human skill instead of divine glory.
He reminded me of John the Baptist's words in John 3:30, he must increase, but I must decrease.
This principle applies powerfully to worship leadership, Jesus explained. Any musical element that draws attention to the musician instead of to me violates this fundamental principle of Christian worship.
Jesus showed me the ancient temple worship described in Scripture, where skilled musicians dedicated their abilities specifically to facilitate corporate worship, not to display individual talent.
In 1 Chronicles 15:22, Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.
Notice Jesus said that his skill was used for instruction and facilitation, not for performance.
God is jealous for his glory in worship, Jesus said.
When performers use worship as a platform for self promotion or to advance their musical careers, they tread on dangerous spiritual ground.
Jesus showed me how this had become epidemic in the modern church, where worship leaders sometimes became the focus of worship instead of simple facilitators of it.
"The problem compounds," Jesus continued, "when congregations begin to associate certain emotional experiences with specific human performers instead of learning to enter God's presence for themselves.
This creates a form of idolatry where people depend on charismatic personalities to have spiritual encounters.
I saw churches where members came more to see their favorite worship leader than to worship God.
I saw how this created a culture of entertainment instead of genuine worship.
When music becomes about the musician, Jesus explained, it ceases to be worship and becomes performance.
And performance, no matter how skillful, cannot facilitate genuine encounter with the living God.
Jesus then led me to the most disturbing section of all.
Jesus continued,
"The scrolls here appeared to have been torn and patched with different materials.
Some parts glowed with holy light while others appeared dark and stained.
The sixth dangerous category, Jesus said with a grave voice, encompasses songs that were originally created for worldly purposes but later received Christian lyrics.
"This is perhaps the most deceptive of all the types," Jesus continued, "because many sincere believers don't realize that simply adding Christian lyrics to a song doesn't automatically transform its spiritual nature.
He taught me about the Hebrew concept of dedication, which involves setting something apart exclusively for divine use.
Objects that were dedicated to God could not have been previously used for common purposes because previous use creates spiritual connections that aren't easily broken by mere intention.
Jesus directed my attention to Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 19, where Paul instructs believers to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit, singing and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
Apostle Paul was instructing believers to use music specifically created for worship, not secular melodies adapted with Christian lyrics.
But in the spiritual realm, origins matter.
Jesus said a song originally written to evoke romantic or sensual feelings toward another person carries that intention in its very musical DNA, regardless of the new lyrics attached to it.
He reminded me of 1 Samuel, chapter 16, verses 14 through 23, where David played his harp for Saul and the evil spirit would depart.
Notice that David didn't adapt popular Philistine songs.
He played music created specifically for the Lord.
Jesus showed me an even more shocking example from the Old Testament.
Remember the golden calf? In Exodus, chapter 32, the people of Israel thought they were worshiping the Lord, verse 5, but they were using worship methods inspired by the Egyptians.
'God completely rejected this syncretistic approach," Jesus said.
In Exodus 32, verse 18, Moses said, It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat.It is the sound of singing that l hear.
Notice that Moses didn't call it worship or praise.
He.called it noise.
Jesus connected this to God's statement in Amos, chapter 5, verse 23, explaining how spiritually corrupt worship sounds like noise to God's ears.
God wants music created specifically for Him, a not recycled vessels originally designed for the world.
Jesus showed me believers researching worship songs to discover their origins, finding that many melodies were originally created as love songs, party anthems, or pop hits songs that had been repurposed with Christian lyrics.
Just because a song mentions Jesus or uses biblical language doesn't automatically sanctify its origin, Jesus warned.
The spiritual DNA of music transcends its lyrical content and carries the original intention with which it was created.
This principle, Jesus continued, explains why some worship songs, despite having biblically correct lyrics, still leave people feeling spiritually empty or even disturbed.
The music is communicating a spiritual message that contradicts the words being sung.
Jesus showed me how this had become particularly problematic in the contemporary Christian music era, where music producers frequently took secular hits songs and simply swapped the original lyrics with Christian lyrics.
The result, he explained, is hybrid music that confuses the spiritual realm and prevents genuine worship. ( About hybrid, click here , in the book of Genesis )
Consider this, Jesus said.
If you were preparing a special meal to honour an important dignitary, would you use dishes that had just been used to serve food to dogs? Even if you washed them, the vessel carries memory of its previous use.
This illustration hit me deeply and I began to understand why God is so specific about purity and worship.
Jesus then showed me something that disturbed me even more.
I saw how some of these recycled songs actually carried dark spiritual influences from their secular origins.
When a song was written under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or altered spiritual states, Jesus revealed, that influence doesn't simply disappear because new lyrics were attached.
This is the reason, Jesus continued, why some people feel spiritually drained or disturbed after certain types of worship music.
Even when the lyrics seem biblically sound, they're unconsciously reacting to spiritual contamination in the music itself.
Jesus brought me back to the central area of the heavenly library, where all the scrolls of different types were visible.
Rebecca, he said, I want you to understand something critical.
I'm not rejecting music or worship in general.
Music is one of the great gifts I gave to humanity, and genuine worship is one of the most beautiful experiences possible for human beings.
The problem, Jesus continued, is that many of my children have been deceived into thinking that any music that mentions my name automatically constitutes true worship.
This simply isn't true.
True worship must come from the heart, must be based on biblical truth, must be offered in a spirit of reverence and humility, and must direct all attention to God the Father.
Jesus showed me scrolls that glowed with pure, intense light.
This , he said, is what genuine worship looks like in the spiritual realm.
When music is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit, when it's firmly based on biblical truth, when it uses musical forms created specifically for sacred worship, when it elevates divine truth above emotional experience, when it glorifies God instead of human performers, and when it was originally created for sacred purposes, it has power to transform lives.
Such music, Jesus revealed, has power to cast out darkness, break spiritual bondages, bring healing, and usher in the manifestation of God's presence.
When worship is pure, it creates an atmosphere where my presence can dwell, where genuine spiritual encounters between God and his people can occur.
Rebecca, Jesus said, looking directly into my eyes, I want you to understand that I'm not condemning any specific person or specific church.
I'm exposing systematic problems that have infected Christian worship in general.
Many pastors and worship leaders who love God deeply simply have never been taught these principles.
The time is running out, Jesus told me with growing urgency in his voice.
"I'm coming back soon, and when I return, I'll be looking for a church that knows how to worship me in spirit and in truth.
A church that understands the difference between religious entertainment and genuine worship.
A church that values holiness above popularity.
The next thing I knew, I was gasping for air on the church floor, surrounded by paramedics, my pastor, and worried church members.
My first words were, "Jesus showed me something about our worship music. We need to talk.
If you're a worship leader, pastor, or simply someone who loves worship music I beg you to take this message seriously.
Examine the songs you sing.
Research their origins.
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment about which songs truly facilitate genuine worship versus those that only produce emotional experiences.
Remember the six types of dangerous songs Jesus showed me and use this as a guide to evaluate the music in your church.
This is the message Jesus gave me during my near, death experience, and I pray it transforms your worship as it transformed mine.
