American Torah

The Common Sense Bible Study crew and Sean Carper, founder of Be More, Inc., talk about families in spiritual transition and dealing with conflict with church and family. "Be More, Inc. is a nonprofit ministry that is raising up generational leaders to BE MORE now by investing their lives in other generations, nations, communities and churches though relational training and immediate activation." Find out more and support Be More's mission at https://2bemore.net. You can be a part of the Common Sense Bible Study community by joining at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com.

You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Exodus 31:13-14 The weekly Sabbath is a sign between God and Israel, whether natural born or grafted in, of our faithfulness and sanctification. It's one of the only commandments that can't be derived from natural law, and it's so important to God that deliberate violation carries the death penalty. See also Ezekiel 20:19-21 and Isaiah 56:3-7. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

“For Adonai YHWH does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? Adonai YHWH has spoken; who can but prophesy?” Amos 3:7-8 God told Israel to remember numerous events from the past, but there's only one specific commandment to REMEMBER to do something in the future: "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy." The weekly Sabbath is at the very heart of his relationship with his people. If God gives his prophets advanced warning of every really significant thing he's going to do, don't you think he would have said something about canceling the Sabbath? From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

The seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. Exodus 20:10 What does it mean to have a Sabbath to YHWH? Is it for his benefit? Is it a Sabbath from his perspective? No, it's a Sabbath in his honor. If you want to honor God, keep the Sabbath on the seventh day as he instructed. What God has made holy, let no man defile. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Building fences for yourself--safeguards and boundaries that keep you from getting into situations that lead to temptation--can be very helpful if you *want* to do what's right. However, if you're looking for trouble, those fences won't protect you. Excerpted from the online Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com).

And God blesseth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it, for in it He hath ceased from all His work which God had prepared for making. Genesis 2:3 God never does anything haphazardly. Everything is planned; everything is in order. He created the world on a timetable with each element created on a specific day for a purpose. He made the plants to sprout on the third day because it was important that it happen on the third day. God could have made everything in a single instant, yet he designed a process that required seven days. During that time, nothing caught him off guard. Nothing surprised him. He didn't reach the end of the sixth day and say to himself, "Whew! I need a break!" The Seventh Day Sabbath (not the first day or the fourth day) was an inherent part of God's perfect plan from before Creation. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

When the crowd on the road from Jericho tried to quiet the two blind men who begged Yeshua to open their eyes, they demonstrated that they were even more blind themselves. Yeshua will open your eyes if you let him, but he will also let you hold onto your blindness despite your pleas if you refuse to see what he shows you. The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. Matthew 20:31-34 From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Yeshua said that he came to serve and not be served. He is the King, which means he's in charge, so what does that really mean? Yeshua serves his bride (the citizens of the Kingdom) by 1) sacrificing his own life for hers, 2) teaching and guiding her, and 3) being her king. This pattern is an example for all leaders to follow. Family, government, military, business, etc. But especially families. There's a lot of disagreement about what Paul meant by wives submitting to their husbands in Ephesians 5:21-30, but it seems to me that Yeshua's example makes it crystal clear. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

We usually say that Sukkot (aka Tabernacles) is the last of the Biblical Fall Feasts, but what about Shmini Atzeret, the Eighth Day Assembly that immediately follows Sukkot. We think of it as the eighth day of Sukkot, but the sacrifices and rules of Sukkot don't apply on this day. It's like a bonus reprieve from the trials of both the Wilderness and the Promised Land, an extra day we get to spend with God before returning to the battles of life. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

When Yeshua told the rich young man that he needed to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor, he was actually telling him that he needed to stop relying on himself for his own salvation. If this had been a desert-dwelling ascetic, Yeshua might have told him to start a business and earn a lot of money in order to be saved. Wealth, poverty, obedience, traditions, and even self-reliance can be good things in the proper context, but if you are relying on any of them to earn you a place in the Kingdom of Heaven, you will be terribly disappointed when the gates are locked to you. Whatever it is that you feel makes you "good enough" is the one thing that you need to give up. From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. Proverbs 5:5-6 In context, this passage is talking about an adulterous woman, but the principle applies more broadly. Many people whose feet are leading them down a destructive path believe that they are doing right. The problem is that they are trusting in their own innate sense of right and wrong, when the advice of our own hearts is always be tainted by an evil inclination. We need an external, objective standard to keep our consciences in line. Excerpted from the weekly Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com). From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

The first half of Proverbs 4 reveals a key ingredient to a long-lasting, peaceful nation...and some interesting hints at Solomon's early home life and ascension to the throne. An excerpt from the weekly Bible study at the Common Sense Bible Study community. https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Solomon personified wisdom as a woman in the Book of Proverbs, and much of what he said about the benefits of wisdom correlate very closely with the benefits of choosing a good wife. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown. Proverbs 4:8-9 An excerpt from the weekly Bible study at the Common Sense Bible Study community at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com. With Carlos Sheran of Conversations of the Way podcast and Heidi Stone of Seeking Messiah (See https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-of-the-way/id1619457793 and http://seekingmessiah.org/). From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

The Pharisees wanted to know where Yeshua stood on divorce, whether he would side with Hillel who said a man could divorce his wife for any cause or with Shammai who said divorce was only allowed for serious offenses. Yeshua's views were frequently closer to Hillel's but, in this case, he was firmly on Hillel's side. God's Law as given through Moses explicitly allows divorce for sexual immorality, but that right shouldn't be exercised until all other options have been exhausted. God hates divorce, just like he hates death, but both are still necessary in extreme cases. Yeshua's main point was this: God instituted marriage. Don't treat it casually. If you love God, then you will protect and cultivate your marriage. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

A set of three parallelisms in Proverbs 3:1-12 are arranged in a chiasm that compares the relationship of sons to their earthly fathers to our relationship with our Heavenly Father. This is an excerpt from the weekly Bible study at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com). From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

The fear of Adonai is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7 When you understand the fearful love of a small child for his father, you will begin to understand the fear of YHWH. Earthly fathers set the stage for our relationship with the Heavenly Father. If we have a loving, wise father on earth, then it is so much easier to have a healthy relationship with God. You can find more from Carlos at Conversations of the Way podcast at either of these two links: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-of-the-way/id1619457793?i=1000575604553 https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/conversations-of-the-way/3916353 From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

This passage describes a progression from being willing to hear wisdom to active hunting it down. God rewards that zealotry with knowledge of his character and ultimately to wisdom itself. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Matthew 18:15-20, the famous passage in which Jesus says to go to a brother in private and then with two or three others before bringing an offense before the whole church, is about restitution and restoration in interpersonal offenses. It's not about exposing private sins or false doctrines, even though the same principle might apply sometimes in those situations. This process only works if you, the other person, and the whole congregation have been taught sound doctrine founded in God's Law. Without that, then it's meaningless. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

An introduction to the Book of Proverbs. Who wrote it, when, why, and what's the main point? Excerpted from the weekly online Bible study at https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Jesus and the Temple Tax in Matthew 17:24-27 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.” Matthew 17:24-27 The temple tax being collected in Matthew 17:24-27 was not part of God's Law, although it was loosely based on the census of Exodus 30:11-16. It was a man-made tradition instituted for the financial support of the Temple. There's nothing wrong it so long as nobody claimed it was a requirement of Torah, but Yeshua used the tax to illustrate a couple of truths about our relationship to him, to the Father, and to the world. As children of the King of Kings, we are not under the authority of any Law, yet out of love for him and his kingdom, we willingly subject ourselves to his commandments and even to those man-made traditions that aren't sinful. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

The story of Yeshua's transfiguration on Mount Tabor is one of the most profoundly strange and significant stories in the Gospel (other than the crucifixion and resurrection, of course). It is very closely connected to two other Bible stories: the wedding at Cana in John 2 and Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 24. The numerous parallels between these three stories reveals profound truths about Yeshua's identity and authority. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

I created the Common Sense Bible Study community to help believers in Jesus from all different backgrounds who want to study the Bible and learn to keep God's commandments cut through the fog of sensationalism and If you're like me, there was a point in time when you looked at what your church was teaching and asked "Where is that in the Bible?" The Bible says to do this, so why don't we do this? The Bible says not to do that, so why do we do that? There is so much confusion and abuse and bitterness that it becomes hard to focus on what's really important. What did Yeshua of Nazareth do and how can I do the same? You don't need a PhD in Biblical studies to understand the Bible. You need a humble heart, willing to test every doctrine against Scripture and to admit when you've been wrong. You need to be suspicious of sensationalism. And you need to focus on Yeshua, how did he keep the commandments. At Common Sense Bible Study I want to help you cut through the theological fog and learn to study the Bible and keep God's commandments for yourself. Join the Common Sense Bible Study community at https://commonsensebiblestudy.com and we'll explore the Scriptures together. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/ Follow me on Truth Social at https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah

Matthew 16:13-20 is chock full of controversial bits. Son of Man, Peter the Rock, Gates of Hell, keys to the kingdom, binding and loosing, etc. Did Jesus declare Peter to be the first pope? Or is there more to it? There is so much here to misunderstand if you don't approach the passage thoughtfully. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed. Matthew 16:1-4 Yeshua didn't do miracles to entertain anyone. Everything he did was intended to teach us about God and his plan of redemption. The world is full of signs pointing to God if you're willing to see them. Some people just refuse to open their eyes. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/

Three days, a desolate place, seven loaves, fish, and four thousand families... The elements of this great miracle aren't arbitrary. It's a prophecy of the Kingdom of God. From Jay Carper at American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com). This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://paypal.me/JayCarper. Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://mewe.com/i/jaycarper Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/