The Christ in Prophecy Journal

Jan Markell Denounces Apostasy (Part 4 of 5)

Jan Markell

Emergent Church Leaders

Jan Markell has also written extensively about the dangers of the Emergent Church Movement and its leaders. She has called the movement a “dangerous fad” that is helping to undermine our nation’s Judeo-Christian worldview.35

This movement emphasizes mysticism, sensory immersion and opinions as opposed to biblical truths. In fact, many of its leaders would deny the existence of absolute truth. Many also denigrate the all-sufficiency of the Scriptures.

Some of Markell’s revelations about the movement include the following:

  • The most visible leader of the movement, Brian McLaren, has stated “that not all people need to be Christians to follow Jesus — some may be Buddhists or Hindu followers.”36
  • Richard Foster and Brennan Manning, both revered by Evangelicals, “have never met a mystical practice they didn’t endorse.”37
  • Christianity Today magazine, supposedly the “house organ of Evangelicalism,” called the Harry Potter books “a wonderful Christmas gift for all.”38
  • Markell’s alma mater, Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, claims to be an Evangelical school that is dedicated to “taking our faith in Christ and integrating it into everything we learn …”39 Yet, in 2009, the university sponsored an “Interreligious Symposium” promoting common ground between Buddhism and Christianity. Markell wrote the conference off with these words: “Bethel University throws its students to interspiritual wolves.”40

Rick Warren

Markell has been particularly aggravated with Rick Warren, the highly influential pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. She has focused on him because of his widespread influence among Evangelicals.

In 2009, she posted an “open letter” to Rick Warren in response to his appearance before the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).41 According to the Washington Times, Warren told that group that he envisions “a coalition of faith.”42 The Times also reported that “Mr. Warren was sparse in his mentions of Jesus and God.”43

In her open letter to Warren, Markell stated:44

Pastor Warren, you pleaded with 8,000 Muslim listeners…to work together to solve the world’s greatest problems by cooperating in a series of interfaith projects. You said, “Muslims and Christians can work together for the common good without compromising my convictions or your convictions.”

Pastor Warren, you needed to compromise the convictions of the Muslims in attendance. The hour is too late to withhold a Gospel message without which they will face a Christless eternity, and you will be held accountable…I have to conclude that you are more interested in ecumenical unity and solving AIDS, poverty and other social issues…You were given a golden opportunity that 99% of American Christians could never get.

Markell also noted in the open letter that Warren had been one of the Evangelical leaders who had signed the Yale University document in 2008 that apologized to Muslims “for all the evil deeds perpetrated against them by Christians.”45 She characterized his endorsement of that document as “pandering” and making himself “sound like a fool.”46 She concluded her letter by saying, “It seems to me that you are more interested in marching hand-in-hand with other faiths down the winding road to the coming one-world religion.”47

In January of 2011, Markell published another article about Warren which began with the question: “What on earth is Pastor Rick Warren thinking?”48 She then outlined the reasons for her question:49

  • Praising Syria for its “religious freedom.”
  • Sharing church-growth principles with synagogues.
  • Being part of the leadership team or board of advisors to questionable organizations such as The World Economic Forum, The Council on Foreign Relations and Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation.
  • Misquoting Jesus in The Purpose Driven Life by saying that He stated, “My return is none of your business,” when, in fact, the Bible emphasizes that His return is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
  • Embracing Kingdom Now/Dominion eschatology which says the Church will save the world through Warren’s global P.E.A.C.E. Plan — when we are on a cursed earth that only Christ’s return can save.
  • Underplaying the issues of Hell, sin and repentance in his books.

In the fifth and final segment of Jan Markell’s denunciation of apostasy in the Church, we’ll look at her views on the spiritual decline of America.

References

25) Email message, April 24, 2017, page 4.

26) Ibid.

27) Jan Markell, “Liberal Evangelicals Don’t Represent me!” November 24, 2011, www.wnd.com/2011/11/371169, page 1.

28) Ibid.

29) Jan Markell, “The NAE Heads Left,” March 21, 2007, www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=6084, page 2.

30) Ibid.

31) Markell, “Liberal Evangelicals…” page 1.

32) Ibid., page 2.

33) Jan Markell, “When Evangelicals Dine with the Wicked,” August 18, 2009, www.moriah.com.au/textarchive/willow-creekleadership-summit-2009.htm.

34) Ibid., page 2.

35) Jan Markell, “The Emergent Church: A Dangerous Fad or Solid New Movement?” January 11, 2008, www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=5390, page 1.

36) Ibid.

37) Jan Markell, “The New Evangelicalism,” November 5, 2007, http://old.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/print.php?&ArticleID=2680, page 1.

38) Ibid.

39) Bethel University, “About the University,” www.bethel.edu/about.

40) Jan Markell, “Bethel University Throws Students to Interspiritual Wolves,” November 10, 2009, www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=191, page 1.

41) Jan Markell, “When Contending Costs Everything,” January 18, 2011, www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2011/01/when-contendingcosts-everything.html, pages 2-3.

42) Jan Markell, “An Open Letter to Pastor Rick Warren,” September 4, 2009, www.olivetreeviews.org/e-updates/jans-articles?start=30, page 1.

43) Ibid., page 2.

44) Ibid, page 1.

45) Ibid., page 2.

46) Ibid.

47) Ibid.

48) Jan Markell, “When Contending Costs Everything,” page 1.

49) Ibid.

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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

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