When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me,
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see
How I blocked Him here, and I checked Him there,
And I would not yield my will -
Will there be grief in my Savior's eyes
Grief, though He loves me still?
He would have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I cannot retrace.
Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break
With the tears that I cannot shed;
I shall cover my face with my empty hands,
I shall bow my uncrowned head...
Lord of the years that are left to me,
I give them to Thy hand;
Take me and break me, mold me to
The pattern Thou hast planned!
Martha Snell Micholson
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there! The risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless, Righteousness
The Great Unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of Grace!
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased with His Blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ, my Savior and my God.
With Christ, my Savior and my God.
Charitie Less Bancroft
About a century or two ago, the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave Rome. Naturally, there was a big uproar from the Jewish community. So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Jewish community. If the Jew won, the Jews could stay. If the Pope won, the Jews would leave.
The Jews realized that they had no choice. So they picked a middle aged man named Moishe to represent them. Moishe asked for one addition to the debate. To make it more interesting, neither side would be allowed to talk. The Pope agreed.
The day of the debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his finers in a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Jews can stay."
An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what had happened. The pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground and showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"
Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe. "What happened?" they asked. "Well," said Moishe, "first he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of there. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here."
"Yes, yes... and then???" asked the crowd.
"I don't know," said Moishe. "He took out his lunch, and I took out mine."
During the French Revolution, there were three Christians who were sentenced to die by the guillotine. One Christian had the gift of faith, the other hand the gift of prophecy, and the third had the gift of helps.
The Christian with the gift of faith was to be executed first. He was asked if he wanted to wear a hood over his head. He declined and said he was not afraid to die. "I have faith that God will deliver me!" he shouted bravely. His head was positioned under the guillotine, with his neck on the chopping block. He looked up at the sharp blade, said a short prayer and waited confidently. The rope was pulled, but nothing happened. His executioners were amazed and, believing that this must have been an act of God, they freed the man.
The Christian with the gift of prophecy was next. His head was positioned under the guillotine blade and he too was asked if he wanted the hood. "No," he said, "I am not afraid to die. However, I predict that God will deliver me from this guillotine!" At that, the rope was pulled and again, nothing happened. Once again, the puzzled executioners assumed this must be a miracle of God, and they freed the man.
The third Christian, with the gift of helps, was next. He was brought to the guillotine and likewise asked if he wanted to wear a hood. "No," he said, "I'm just as brave as those other two guys." The executioners then positioned him face up under the guillotine and were about to pull the rope when the man stopped them. "Hey wait a minute," he said. "I think I just found the problem with your guillotine."
- There's a case of bottled water beside the pulpit in a cooler.
- The pews have camper hookups.
- You overhear the pastor telling the sound man to have a few (dozen!) extra tapes on hand to record today's sermon.
- The preacher has brought a snack to the pulpit.
- The preacher breaks for an intermission.
- The bulletins have pizza delivery menus.
- When the preacher asks the deacon to bring in his notes, he rolls in a filing cabinet.
- The choir loft is furnished with La-Z-Boys.
- Instead of taking off his watch and laying it on the pulpit, the preacher turns up a four-foot hourglass.
- The minister says, "You'll be out in time to watch the super bowl" but it's only September!
- Who received a sign from the Lord by the movement of the shadow on the sundial reversing? (2 Kings 20:8-11)
- What did Moses do with the idol the people had made while he was on the mountain? (Exodus 32:19-20)
- When do we first read about hymn-singing in the New Testament?
(Matthew 26:26-30)
- Paul planned to stop and see the Roman Christians on his way to where? (Romans 15:22-24)
- Who was Elijah's disciple?
(1 Kings 19:16-21)
- To what did Job compare the swiftness with which his life was passing?
(Job 7:6)
- When was Jesus given the name provided by the angel of the annunciation? (Luke 2:21)
- After Herod imprisoned Peter and Pete miraculously escaped, where did he go first? (Acts 12:6-17)
- Who was the beautiful girl adopted by Mordecai? (Esther 2:7)
- What does Paul say God has done to the wisdom of this world?
(1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
- When Jesus laments over Jerusalem, what does He compare Himsel to when He says what He wouold have done for the people there? (Luke 13:34)
- Where did Abram live when God called him and first made His promise to Abraham? (Genesis 11:32-12:4)
- Who was the Persian king who invited the exiles in his realm to return to Judah? (Ezra 1:1-4)
- What does James say makes one an "enemy of God"? (James 4:1-10)
- When the Promised Land was divided among the trives of Israel, which tribe settled on the area that includes Jerusalem? (Joshua 18:11-28)
- Where was Jesus when a woman anointed His head with costly ointment carried in an alabaster jar?
(Matthew 26:6-7, Mark 14:3)
- Who parted the waters of the Jordan by striking the water with a rolled up mantle? (2 Kings 2:8)
- What did Jacob pay Esau for his birthright? (Genesis 25:29-34)
- When the spies sent by Moses into Canaan returned, what items did they bring back with them?
(Numbers 13:17-23)
- After his conversion, where did Paul go first from Damascus? (Galatians 1:15-17)
- Who was Tabitha? (Acts 9:36-42)
- What seven things does Proverbs tell us are abominations to God?
(Proverbs 6:16-19)
- Where was Paul when he wrote his lette to the Colossians? (Colossians 4:3-4)
- Who helped the Hebrew spies escape Jericho by sending them down a rope throuogh a window in the outside wall? (Joshua 2:21)
- What does Jesus say we need to do before making an offering to God? (Matthew 5:23-24)
- When did the sun stand still?
(Joshua 10:1-14)
- Who was told to go wash in the Jordan seven times? (2 Kings 5:1-19)
- Where is Timothy teaching when Paul writes to him? (1 Timothy 1:3)
- Who was the woman who served as a judge in pre-monarchy Israel? (Judges 4:4-5)
- What did Eve expect to happen if she ate the forbidden fruit? (Genesis 3:1-6)
- Who was Phoebe? (Romans 16:1-2)
- What does the Lord want from His people instead of festivals, "solemn assemblies," and offerings? (Amos 5:21-24)
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