The Refining Fire – Final Reply

For almost a year now, I have been corresponding with Rabbi Shali Bat Yehudit and have been extremely blessed by this precious woman.,   I am a Pentecostal minister and am currently pastoring a church in Bessemer City, NC and have been there for 25 years.

Rabbi Shali and I certainly do not see eye-to-eye in everything we believe doctrinally but we have a common foundation and that foundation is the Christ, the Messiah. ‚  We both believe that God (YHWH) our Heavenly Father, sent Jesus to suffer and die for us that our sins might be forgiven and that we might have fellowship with God. ‚  We believe that Christ died on the cross and on the 3rd day He arose. ‚   We believe He has ascended into Heaven and that He is soon coming again to reign on this earth. ‚   This common foundation is shared by all Christians whether they are Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist or Lutheran and so on. ‚   Among these denomination there is much disagreement on doctrine but in no way do I believe that a Lutheran will not go to heaven if he or she does not believe everything I believe. ‚   The basics are there.

I know that Rabbi Shali believes strongly in being Torah Observant and encourages non-Jews to be so as well. ‚   She has never condemned me for not being Torah Observant. ‚   I cannot for the world see why being Torah Observant would be a burden to anyone. ‚   All of those point to the Christ and give the non-Jew a better understanding of all that Christ did for us and who He really is. ‚   You have condemned Rabbi Shali for this yet on your website you say the following:

“Observance is optional for Jewish believers and their families for cultural, testimonial, and devotional reasons according to the conscience and culture of the individuals. We cannot judge others either for their observance or personal choice not to be observant…”

Yet you have judged Shali and pretty much condemned her to hell over this, even calling her demonic. ‚   This is a very serious charge to bring against ‚  one of God’s “little ones.” ‚   She is not demon-possessed but has won many to Christ and the Lord has used her wonderfully.

You charge that she does not refer to YHWH as God or Lord and this is simply not true. ‚   She has done so with me on many occasions. ‚   You state she was in the Chaplaincy Corps while in the military. ‚   This is not true. ‚   She was not even a believer when in the service. ‚   You laugh and mock her because she is an ordained Rabbi as if she is getting above herself being a lowly woman. ‚   I wonder if you are Baptist? ‚   In the Pentecostal faith, we have been allowing women to preach the Gospel for over 100 years and have been roundly condemned by other Protestants and Catholics for it. ‚   However, according to the Prophet Joel, “In the last days I will pour out ‚  My Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters will prophesy (preach).” ‚   Why would you mock anyone for preaching that Jesus is the Christ? ‚   I know, personally, that Rabbi Shali has won many to Christ, even a Skinhead. ‚   I can only ask you, how many Skinheads have you won to Christ.

If you so disagree with her, why do you not use the Scriptures to refute what she teaches? ‚   It is very unchristian to laugh and mock people because we disagree with them. ‚   To call her stupid, a silly woman, etc. is wrong. ‚   The Scriptures state that when Michael contended with Satan over the body of Moses that Michael did not bring rallying accusations against Satan but simply said to him, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan.”

I really do not know anything about you sir, but in this one thing, I am not impressed. ‚   A Christian should be the very essence of the love of Christ. ‚   When others look at us they should be able to see Christ in us because of the way we live our lives and because of our speech. ‚   If Rabbi Shali was sending people to hell over her teachings, that would be another thing altogether but she is not.

I really think you need to apologize to Rabbi Shali. ‚   You don’t need this on your slate when you stand at the Judgment. ‚   Do you not remember how the Disciples were angry because another group, not of the twelve, were preaching Christ and they wanted the Lord to stop them. ‚   Jesus said, “Those who are not against us are with us.” ‚   I think you and Rabbi Shali have enough in common to work together for Christ to win the lost. Please reframe from such silly and childish attacks against this woman. ‚   I believe that you are fighting against God and simply do not realize it.

In Christ,

Pastor Leroy Easler

Jacob’s Response

Dear Sir,

No, I am not a Baptist. I am in fact a Pentecostal and know that The Holy Spirit is a Person and that God is One in Three Persons. Those teaching against this are heretics according to The Word of God. The Word of God likewise teaches that those teaching legalistic bondage to Old Testament law know nothing and are to be silenced (1 Timothy3-7).

I ‚   am troubled that a fellow Pentecostal who is suppose to be a pastor of The Lord’s sheep defending the flock from wolves views such wolves as sheep. One God in Three Persons is fundamental to biblical Christianity. The Holy Spirit being a person is fundamental to the faith. Placing non Jews under legalistic bondage to the Law is something God’s Word calls witch-craft (Galatians 3:1). Anyone not knowing these things does not scripturally understand the faith themselves and are not biblically qualified to be pastors; ‚   someone cannot teach what they do not know themselves.

The letter sent to us addressed these issues from scripture point by point. The superlatives we use to describe these heretics are straight from scripture.

Since when does being a Pentecostal mean that we as Pentecostals should throw our bibles and our brains out the window and jump into fellowship with heretics teaching doctrines of demons (eg. mandatory dietary laws – 1 Tim. 4:1-3)?

As a pastor you will give account to The Lord for the welfare of His sheep (Hebrews 13:17) and as a teacher you, like I, will be judged more strictly than the others (James 3:1).

Not grasping the importance of basic doctrines such as The Holy Spirit being a Person indicates a misunderstanding of biblical Pentecostalism. Not grasping the non-negotiable ‚   importance of One God in Three Persons indicates you fail to even understand basic doctrine. Inability to recognize a wolf indicates an inability to shield the flock from them (John 10).

Someone ignorant of the constitution cannot be a lawyer – they are a fake. Someone ignorant of anatomy & physiology cannot be a medical doctor – they are a fake. Someone ignorant of scripture cannot be a pastor – they are fake.
An unqualified lawyer gets people into trouble. An unqualified physician gets people into trouble. An unqualified pastor gets God’s people into trouble. Draw you own conclusions.

If you are their shepherd I fear for your sheep, and I frankly fear for you on the day you shall give account for them.

Meanwhile, her name is not Shali Bat Yehudit; her real name is Carmen Welker and she is a fraud and her group a cult. Jesus commanded us : ‘Call No One Rabbi’ (Matthew 23: 8). You may believe whom you wish. I choose to believe Jesus.

Her theological arguments are fraudulent and ridiculous. You may stand by this she-wolf as her ‚   ‘brother’; I stand by The Word of God as a follower of Jesus The Messiah.

Sincerely In Christ.

JJ Prasch

1 Timothy 3:2 – a genuine pastor must be able to teach God’s Word accurately.

(Yes, I am an ordained Pentecostal Minister, I do read Greek, speak Hebrew and unlike many Pentecostal preachers after university I went to a top Seminary etc. Not that these things matter in themselves, but rightly dividing God’s Word does).