From: Michael Fortner
To: The Path of Truth
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 9:43 PM
Subject: false prophets
Hello,
In your list of false prophets, you forgot to include Martin Luther, St. Augustine, Irenaeus, Pollycarp, etc.
I read most of your doctrinal statements and liked most of what I read. But because we do not agree on everything, I must classify you as false prophets. Isn’t that the way you measure?
I did like the way you described yourself without even knowing it:
The blaring lack of faith declared by their lives, however, altogether drowned out any claim of truth, no matter how accurate or perfect the doctrines. Their fruits said it all. And when the Messiah came, not only did they not recognize or receive Him, they killed Him as a blasphemer and heretic.
You are calling anyone who does not agree with you, blasphemers and heretics. So, I guess that makes you a modern Pharisee.
What you fail to understand, is that no one has 100% accurate doctrine or perfect lives, and that includes YOU. And you also fail to realize that God uses people who are not 100% accurate in their doctrines and actions.
I would certainly call some of those on your list false prophets, but most of them are merely not 100% accurate, JUST LIKE YOU.
Blessings,
Michael D. Fortner
From: Paul Cohen
To: Michael Fortner
Cc: Victor Hafichuk
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 7:24 AM
Subject: Re: false prophets
“Blessings,” Michael? We have reason enough to doubt that lie, don’t we?
For one who touts himself as an experienced journalist and researcher, it’s shameful that you haven’t done your homework here. You’re off-base in several things you write about us, all easily remedied had you only properly investigated our site.
To begin with, your notion of how we define a false teacher is false. This, from the introduction to our false teachers section:
What is a false teacher and how does one qualify for this list?
No person rightfully takes upon himself the role of a teacher or any other ministry of God without God’s power and authority. In a world full of teachers, preachers, elders, deacons, speakers, writers, evangelists, pastors, prophets, and apostles, rare are the true ministers representing the Lord Jesus Christ. Many are the false, and very few the true, even as in Noah’s day.
False teachers are those who presume to teach in their own authority (as did the scribes), often in the Name of the Lord, when He has not sent them. Though they have knowledge of Biblical truths, they are, at best, in delusion, presuming to turn others to the Kingdom of God when, in fact, they are building the corrupt kingdoms of men. At worst, they are deliberate charlatans, seeking to deceive, steal, kill, and destroy, using Biblical truths to do so.
Though false teachers lead astray, the Biblical truths they teach can lead to Christ those whom God has called and is choosing. The truth quickens those being given the gift of faith. However, faith manifest in the one who receives the truth does not certify as God’s representative the one who speaks some truth. The child of faith who walks in obedience to Christ will soon enough part ways with those who mix truth with error.
This is God’s commandment:
“Therefore come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing. And I will receive you and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18 MKJV).
False teachers mix the holy things of God with their carnal thoughts, creating a false form of godliness. They can’t do otherwise, because they haven’t taken up the cross and submitted themselves to Christ’s righteousness. They are still in their sin nature, living unto themselves, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.
And because false teachers haven’t submitted themselves to Christ’s righteousness, they can’t lead others there. A false teacher is one who may speak truth, yet points his hearers in another direction.
You’re also wrong about who isn’t listed in our false teachers section:
Luther, Martin: Luther’s Legacy – Unleashing the Man of Sin
As well, we make note of Augustine and other “church fathers” as false teachers in “True Marks of a Cult”: Reference to the “Church Fathers”
These errors of sloppiness and hastiness on your part only point to the deeper issue that you’re in all wrongness with God. You’re a proud man, having nothing whatsoever to do with the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Though the LORD is high, yet He has respect to the lowly; but the proud He knows afar off” (Psalms 138:6 MKJV).
On your website you speak of using your carnal abilities “to figure out the correct meaning of very difficult to understand passages of Scripture.” But here’s what the Lord Himself said about how such things were made known to His people:
“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the sophisticated and cunning, and have revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for so it was pleasing before You” (Luke 10:21 MKJV).
It’s one thing to be an ignorant sinner, but another altogether to lift oneself up in the presumption of self-righteousness and malign the work of God in His servants. You’ve invited great wrath and destruction on yourself, Michael, from the Lord.
Paul Cohen
From: Michael Fortner
To: Paul Cohen
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: false prophets
Hello Paul,
You have shown your true colors, and proven me right. First, you say false prophets are self-called and not God called, but who is the judge of who is called, you? How do you know who is called and who is not? But in the Bible the Apostles were wanting to make someone stop ministering in Jesus’ name who was not one of the disciples, but Jesus said to let him be, that anyone who was not against us is for us. So God allows ministers who are not called.
Second, you judged me saying, I “having nothing whatsoever to do with the Lord Jesus Christ.” WOW. I never said that about you. You are over the top. I never called you false prophets, most people would understand that I was not being literal. I don’t call you false prophets, just Pharisees. I happen to be called to the ministry in a powerful calling at age 20, and called to interpret Bible prophecy at an early age 8 or 9.
You have judged me in the same way that you have judged others. It is not your place to judge others and if you had any wisdom you would only be calling false those who are obviously false, by the enormity of the false doctrines and bad fruit.
You might be interested in a little book I wrote called “The Almost True, Yet False Prophet.” It shows that in the Bible God says that a false prophet can have dreams and visions that come true, that he gives the false prophet those dreams and visions! Really, it is there in Deut.
So you think that the only way to understand the Bible is if God tells you want it means. No wisdom needed. There is where you have failed. The Bible says to ask for wisdom, and God will give it, and to seek after wisdom, but you call God given wisdom “carnal abilities”. No, that is what you are using to make your judgments.
You shouldn’t be calling so many people false prophets, what do think you are accomplishing? When you label almost everyone and his dog, false prophets, it just makes you look like a Pharisee and people with wisdom will ignore you and write you off the way you write off nearly everyone.
You may be shocked to learn that God started the Roman Catholic Church, not satan. It was not perfect, and had many problems, but it was necessary for the time. Otherwise, Christianity could never have eliminated paganism within the Roman Empire. Then later, God brought the Protestant Reformation to bring Christianity up to a higher level. But Martin Luther was a Jew hater and said that the books of Hebrews and Revelation should not be in the Bible. So I am surprised that you don’t call him a false prophet. But he is just an example of an imperfect, yet true minister.
With Paganism virtually dead in that part of the world, Satan became angry and raised up another way to attack and kill Christians, which is Islam that invaded the Christian Eastern Roman Empire, based in Constantinople. Islamic empire will rise up out of the Abyss and bring WW3.
And so, God used many people throughout history, even though if they were here today, you would call them false prophets.
Michael
From: Michael Fortner
To: Paul Cohen
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 3:38 PM
Subject: Re: false prophets
I want to apologize for the original attack email I sent. It did not seem like one at the time, but reading it later in your reply, I would call it an attack email. I should have just ignored you like most people will do. Just forget I sent it.
Thanks,
Michael