1 Corinthians 4; 1 Kings 17; Amos 1

1 Corinthians 4

1 A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God's mysteries.

2 In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one be found faithful.

3 It is of little importance that I should be evaluated by you or by a human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself.

4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord.

5 Therefore don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: "Nothing beyond what is written." The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another.

7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it?

8 Already you are full! Already you are rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us-and I wish you did reign, so that we also could reign with you!

9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men.

10 We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!

11 Up to the present hour we are both hungry and thirsty; we are poorly clothed, roughly treated, homeless;

12 we labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

13 when we are slandered, we entreat. We are, even now, like the world's garbage, like the filth of all things.

14 I'm not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.

15 For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can't have many fathers. Now I have fathered you in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

16 Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me.

17 This is why I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

18 Now some are inflated with pride, as though I were not coming to you.

19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the talk but the power of those who are inflated with pride.

20 For the kingdom of God is not in talk but in power.

21 What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

1 Kings 17

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!"

2 Then a revelation from the Lord came to him:

3 "Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan.

4 You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there."

5 So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan.

6 The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he drank from the wadi.

7 After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him:

9 "Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there."

10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink."

11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand."

12 But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I don't have anything baked-only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die."

13 Then Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid; go and do as you have said. Only make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterwards, you may make some for yourself and your son,

14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.' "

15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. She and he and her household ate for many days.

16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Elijah.

17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him.

18 She said to Elijah, "Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?"

19 But Elijah said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, "My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?"

21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, "My Lord God, please let this boy's life return to him!"

22 So the Lord listened to Elijah's voice, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.

23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, "Look, your son is alive."

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord's word in your mouth is the truth."

Amos 1

1 The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa-what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

2 He said: The Lord roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.

3 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Damascus for three crimes, even four, because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.

4 Therefore, I will send fire against Hazael's palace, and it will consume Ben-hadad's citadels.

5 I will break down the gates of Damascus. I will cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven, and the one who wields the scepter from Beth-eden. The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir. The Lord has spoken.

6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Gaza for three crimes, even four, because they exiled a whole community, handing them over to Edom.

7 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Gaza, and it will consume its citadels.

8 I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod, and the one who wields the scepter from Ashkelon. I will also turn My hand against Ekron, and the remainder of the Philistines will perish. The Lord God has spoken.

9 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Tyre for three crimes, even four, because they handed over a whole community of exiles to Edom and broke a treaty of brotherhood.

10 Therefore, I will send fire against the walls of Tyre, and it will consume its citadels.

11 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Edom for three crimes, even four, because he pursued his brother with the sword. He stifled his compassion, his anger tore [at them] continually, and he harbored his rage incessantly.

12 Therefore, I will send fire against Teman, and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.

13 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing the Ammonites for three crimes, even four, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.

14 Therefore, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah, and it will consume its citadels. There will be shouting on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of the storm.

15 Their king and his princes will go into exile together. The Lord has spoken.