Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

Psalms 100:2 NKJV

Commentary: We serve a good God who died for us; who would not serve such a God with gladness and singing?

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:1‭-‬2 NKJV

Commentary: As Christians, we have died to our old, sinful selves and have been reborn in Christ; therefore, we should not focus on the temporal things that our sinful nature would have us focus on, but rather set our minds on the things of our new life in Christ.

Hebrews 12:4-12 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

When we become Christians, it isn't a free pass to do whatsoever we please. (However, we do know from the very definition of eternal security that no matter what we do in this life, we cannot lose our salvation.) God visits our sins, and uses them as a way of tempering believers. God is a loving God, and true love involves correction and chastisement.

Revelations 13:1-2

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."

UmU beware heretics!

1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
Psalm 39:6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
Matthew 6:19-21 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The bible repeats continually the dangers of seeking wealth and advises against living our lives for the sake of money. Jesus himself declared this in Mark 10:25: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Many Christians, especially Catholics, fall into the same trap that Jesus is expounding on in this passage: they rely on how good they are in the sight of the world to get them into heaven. We must remember Ephesians 2:8-9, which states "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
This does not mean that all people who are wealthy are not saved or are even being inadequate Christians. 1 Samuel 2:7 says "The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." We also know that Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, and other notable figures were very rich. The rich are therefore commanded to use their wealth for the benefit of others and the church. Jesus in Luke 18:22 said to a certain rich man, "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."
The first mention of the tithe was mentioned all the way back in Genesis, when God revealed himself unto Jacob. In Genesis 28:22 Jacob made a promise to God: "And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." God takes the tithe very seriously. In Malachi 3:8, God expresses this in no questionable terms: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." The tithe belongs to God; it is not our gift to him.
We live in one of the most prosperous times the world has seen, where food and basic sustenance is no longer the primary expense. We should use this rare opportunity in time to build up and strengthen the church for a lasting impression on the generations to follow, instead of storing up our treasures in worldly possessions, which wither and fall away.

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
—James 2:26



Thoughts on Today's Verse...
By this definition, a whole lot of people claiming to be believers are really spiritual corpses. For faith to be real, it must express itself in service. Faith not only moves mountains; it moves believers to act in ways that honor God and bless others, demonstrating their thankfulness for God's incredible grace.

Pasta, pasta, pasta
is better than Rasta

(by an unknown but devoted pastafarian, oral tradition)

Thoughts on today's verse:
Sometimes, the food for one's soul is more important that a food for one's stomach. This verse reminds us, that there are also other times.

(Disclaimer: Verse is not only a Bible thing... OT just for fun)
(Ok, I know Viking already presented today's one.. let's excause it by a fact that in a different timezone there's already a new day)
(I won't interfere again, thread was referred in Community dashboard, came here expecting some funny short poems....)

Deuteronomy 34:1-6 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

These verses, from the last chapter of the last book of the Mosaic law, show God not allowing Moses to enter into the promised land because he did not give God the glory for bringing forth water from the rock at Meribah in Numbers 20. In Numbers 20:12, God reveals his punishment upon Moses and Aaron: "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them."
What we can learn from these verses is that our sins aren't a zero-sum game. God will punish us for our sin; our good works and our ability to follow the law won't negate the sins we committed. Galatians 6:7 reiterates this attribute of God: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." We need to be mindful that this chastening is not out of hate, but out of fatherly love. Hebrews 12:6 says "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." When God punishes us for our sins, it is out of love.
We shouldn't use our newfound freedoms as new testament believers to get as close to sinning and being abhorrent to God as possible. If we do, we will get punished. Romans 5:20-21 and Romans 6:1-6 explains this attitude of abusing our freedom in Christ: "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
The God of the old testament is the God of the new testament, and he still hates sin, and so much the more when his children commit it. In Leviticus 22:31, God stated it thus: "Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD." In John 14:15, Jesus stated it thus: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." God is consistent, as are the things that he abhors, and the things which he joys in.

Edited 2/27/2020 04:04:08

Matthew 6:23
"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

This verse has a lot going on in it, and it is helpful to break down what the bible's definition for the words are to find out the weight of it.

First we will look at 'jealous.' Jealousy in the bible is always portrayed as a good, righteous attribute. Exodus 20:5 is the first time 'jealous' is used: "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;" Exodus 34:14 is the most memorable verse that uses the term: "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:" We can learn immediately from this that jealousy is not a sin- covetousness and envy are, as it is written in the ten commandments.
Numbers 5:11-31 is a section where 'jealous' is used in abundance. Verses 11-15 use it the most heavily: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner; And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled: Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance."
Why is the husband jealous of his wife for committing fornication? Because she is his wife, and her body belongs to him, and his body to her. 1 Corinthians 7:4 expounds on this law: "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." Jealousy is therefore not wanting to give over, or be robbed of, what is rightfully yours to people (or false gods, as we see in the verses from Exodus) that are undeserving of it, especially when they are taken in sin, or even have a greater opportunity to commit sins.
This is another area where modern translations of the bible fall short: as an example, when Joseph reveals his dreams unto his brothers and father in Genesis 37, their reaction is described as jealousy in verse 11 in the New International Version: "His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind." Genesis 37:11 in the King James version reads "And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying." The King James version correctly translates this as envy, keeping the reader from being confused unnecessarily by inconsistent, incorrect translations.

'Revenge' will be the next word we look at. The first instance and most heavy usage of 'revenge' is again, as like the word 'jealousy,' found in the Mosaic law, in Numbers 35:9-34. These verses deal with what to do when one person kills another unawares or unintentionally, what we would call involuntary manslaughter. There were appointed cities of refuge for those who committed involuntary manslaughter to flee to. The definition for murder is also outlined in this passage.
We will read verses 19-25, which deal with murderers, slayers, and revengers of blood: "The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil."
A companion word, vengeance, is used more sporadically throughout the bible, and is always used when describing God's direct action, or his commanding of his people to execute his judgements in just one verse in the Psalms, upon the wicked. Deuteronomy 32:51 is the first descriptive use of this term, with God speaking it: "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste."
From these and other verses, we can see that 'revenge' and 'vengeance' are defined as retribution, and is often localized to individuals or groups of individuals with a common misdeed among them. We will use the bible's definitions of 'revenge' and 'vengeance' to contrast with 'wrath' after we define it next.



'Wrath,' when used in the term 'the wrath of God' or 'God's wrath,' is undoubtably the highest form of anger God displays throughout the bible. Exodus 15 begins with the song with the song the children of Israel sang after passing through the Red Sea onto dry land, immediately after which the Egyptians who were pursuing them were swallowed up by the deep. Verse 7 of this song reads thus: "And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble." When starting a fire in a field of stubble, you can't decide which piece of stubble burns and which doesn't on an individual basis; the most you can do is making broad firebreaks between sections that you wish to burn and those sections which you don't wish to burn: there is no gray zone of partial burning.

'Wrath' is used often throughout the bible, but the first thing that comes mind when considering God's wrath is the book of Revelation. I won't go into much detail for now on this, but in Revelation 6-8 the seven seals are opened by the Lamb, and after the sixth seal is opened those who believe on Jesus Christ will be caught up with him in the clouds. In Revelation 6:16-17, the people who are suffering the tribulations of the seven seals cry out: "And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
The wrath of God takes place after the seven seals, after all believers are in Heaven with God. The wrath of God is the seven trumpets and the seven vials, which shall be sounded and poured out upon the earth, causing the vast majority of the unsaved to be utterly destroyed and tormented for their sins.

We can see that 'wrath' is God's judgement upon wide swaths of people, not taking into account their works: only their faith in him is considered. God's wrath is justified, it's perfect, and he is worthy to pour out wrath upon those who he chooses. 



With these definitions in mind, and a clear understanding of the bible in both vocabulary, history, chronological order, and prophecy, we can now reread Nahum 1:2 with clarity: "God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies."

We see that this seemingly simple verse is filled with prophecy and truth, and reveals qualities of God: how he hates sin, how he takes vengeance on sinners today, and how he will pour out wrath on those who hate him in the end times.

rant more pls it’s hawt

One day KKKarl will be back

Numbers 21:4-9 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

These verses, at surface level, seem as though God commanded Moses to make an idol for the Israelites in order that they may be healed, although it was in all actuality more prophecy for the Israelites that they may look forward to the coming of the Christ.
In the first few sentences, God sends out fiery serpents amongst the Israelites for their complaining. God was providing all their needs, yet they were not content. This isn't the first time that the Israelites scoff and disrespect God during their wanderings in the desert, and it won't be their last; God later referred to the Israelites as a "stiff-necked people" more times than I can think of, both in the old and new testament.
After Moses sought God for the Israelites to deal with this affliction caused by their sins, the Lord commanded Moses to make a serpent of brass upon a pole, and whenever the Israelites simply looked and beheld the serpent, they were healed from their injuries. This is later referenced in the new testament, in John 3:14: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:" This verse puts it as simple as one can hope for. The pole is also significant; poles and trees are used in many old testament prophecies, the most memorable being Deuteronomy 21:23, later quoted in Galatians 3:13: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
Serpents are used in a variety of ways in the bible, but usually one views them as being representative of the devil. However, in Moses' life, there is another use of the serpent, in Exodus 7:8-12: "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods." This rivalry showed on no uncertain terms that God was the true master of the universe.

The action of looking upon the serpent is also a picture of how simple salvation is. All that we need to do to inherit the kingdom of God and eternal, everlasting life is to simply look to Jesus to be our savior from eternal torment. Romans 10:9 is the plan of salvation for all people: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." I try to make a point of how much God hates sin in my posts because, as Christians, we are quick to assume that everyone understands the weight of our sins, which is often not the case- even among other Christians at times. When you contrast how much God hates sin with his love towards us, in spite of all our sins and shortcomings, it is truly an overwhelming love, one that is difficult to adequately put into words.

Edited 2/29/2020 02:14:49

Titus 2:1-15
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. 



These verses are the basic outline for how men and women, young and old, bond and free, should live their lives as to better themselves and lift up those around them. The old testament laws pertaining to marriage were for the most part legalistic: forbidding divorce, the marriage of multiple wives, fornication, etc.. The new testament, though it of course does not render the Mosaic laws obsolete, focuses more on keeping your heart pure as well as your body. Companion verses to this are all over the new testament, the most notable verses being in Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:22-33 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

We as men are to lead our wives and our families, not to be passive in our wife's and children's lives. When the verses command the wives to be submitted unto to their husbands, it is easy to deduce that we are to be men worthy and capable of handling and managing subservience from our wives and children without abusing our position in the family. We should be mindful of how Christ loves the churches and nourishes them, and use him as our example, as verse twenty three presents.

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 16:9 NKJV

Commentary: While we plan what we think is best, God knows what is best for us. If we are open to His guidance, He will guide our steps on the path that will give us more satisfaction than anything we could have imagined for ourselves. It may not be easy, by the reward will be great, and He will guide us every step of the way.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
—1 John 3:1


Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Some gifts are too precious for words and too wonderful to fully appreciate. The greatest of these gifts is that we are God's children! We have been adopted into the Father's family! Jesus claims us as his younger siblings! Even though the world may not acknowledge this, that condition doesn't make it any less true. After all, the world didn't recognize its Creator when he became flesh and lived among the people he had made. God's Word, however, still proclaims the truth; we ARE the children of God!

2 Corinthians 3:10-18 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When a person reads the old testament for the first time, without any real knowledge of the new testament in Jesus as well as his life and ministry, the bible says that they are reading the books and laws as though they had a veil over the pages.
To get a true understanding of the old testament, one first needs to get saved through Jesus the Christ, as explained in 1 Corinthians 2:14: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Once we bring people to salvation, and they accept it, they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
One also needs to read the new testament to understand the old testament. Reading the bible the second time makes everything much more clear, and one is able to see very clearly all the laws that were set in place solely as prophecy for Christ, the laws that were abolished through Christ, and the laws that were confirmed through Christ.
One of course doesn't have a full knowledge of the old and new testaments just by virtue of having the Holy Spirit indwelling in them, of course. After Jesus was resurrected, in Luke 24:27, he talked with two believers while walking down the road, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." We need to be taught by others more mature in the faith than us, just as the two on the road with Jesus, and Apollos with Aquila and Priscilla in Acts 18:24-28: "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ."
By reading only four chapters a day, less than 15 minutes of time committed on average, you will read through the bible once a year. No matter what section of the bible you are reading, it will profit you spiritually. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

1 Kings 8:41-43 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

1 Kings 8 is the chapter where King Solomon consecrates the first temple, and God begins to dwell in it. Solomon makes a public prayer (part of which is the verses above) which contains much doctrine about God keeping his promises, punishing his children when they disobey him, repentance, and understanding omnipresence.
The section above shows that in the old testament, the Israelites weren't hoarding God to themselves as it were; there were always provisions for foreigners to sojourn in Israel and believe in the Lord, even in the Mosaic law. A few notable verses: Exodus 23:9: "Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." Leviticus 19:33-34 "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." There are other verses besides these commanding the leaders of Israel to also punish the strangers sojourning in Israel for their crimes the same as the Israelites would be.
Robert Drews details pre-Christ conversion among the Greeks in his course "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to the beginnings of modern civilization," mentioning how the Hellenic people would often change their surname and become circumcised in order to join with the Hebrews. Drews uses extrabiblical sources to confirm this, showing that the Israelites truly did accept foreigners as fellow believers, and even got people outside of Israel saved in many cases.
Isaiah 56:3-7 is the definitive verse on the subject of strangers joining the faith in the old testament: "Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
James 1:12‭-‬15 NKJV

Commentary: Temptation itself is not a sin, though it comes from the devil; even Jesus, who never sinned, was tempted. However, when temptation is allowed to "conceive", it brings forth sin, which brings death. Don't give in to temptation! "Blessed is the man who endures temptation".
But don't be disheartened when you do give in; instead, give it to God, who has made you righteous through the blood of His Son. And persist in fleeing temptation.

Psalms 10
Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent:
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. his eyes are privily set against the poor.
He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

When we see the abundance of evil in the world today, we often wish for God to personally intervene and punish the wicked; we may wonder why the Lord stands afar off, as David does in verse one of this psalm. However, when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, the government that God established in the Mosaic law always commanded the punishments for crimes, both of beatings and of death penalties, to be carried out by the people of the city, often with oversight by the judge if the matter was brought before them. It has never been God's job to punish the wicked, but he does intervene using diseases, foreign armies, famines, etc., if he deems it necessary. To punish people individually for their sins as soon as they commit them wouldn't allow for true free will as God designed it. If we were to base our governments upon the Mosaic law with the changes that the new testament imposed on it, God likely would never have to intervene in these ways as he has in the past.
We know that the sinners of this world and those who do abominable works will be punished in hell after they die if they do not put their faith in Christ, and sometimes this might be the only punishment they receive. Romans 12:19 says "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Our time here on earth is little. Psalm 90:10 reads "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." But the punishment for sin without the forgiveness of God is eternal. It's hard to wrap our minds around eternity, but the smoke of the torment of the wicked ascending up for ever and ever is much harsher punishment for murder, rape, theft, and kidnapping than we could ever hope to impose on them on this earth.