1) Petra is a Christia… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in 1972 by Bob Hartman, Bill Glover, John DeGroff, and Greg Hough. "Petra" means "rock" in NT Greek, making the band name a triple pun. Rising from the Jesus music movement, and initially signed to [recordlabel]Myrrh Records[/recordlabel], they fought to gain acceptance and recognition in a church culture that at the time believed rock music to be off-limits. Over time they eventually won over most of their critics, thanks to a steady approach and some solid adult contemporary airplay hits like "The Coloring Song," outside of their usual rock fare. By the mid-80's, when lead singer Greg X. Volz left the band and was replaced by John Schlitt, Petra had solidified their place as the foremost Christian rock band in the industry with a string of hit albums and singles and strong touring. The release of Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out marked a turn towards modern-sounding worship music that would soon explode into the modern worship movement.
Petra was nominated for and won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In 1991, after the release of their acclaimed Beyond Belief record, Petra became the first rock band ever to win for Group of the Year at the Dove Awards. They were also the first Christian rock band to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
For three decades Petra continued to produce albums despite changes in their line-up as well as the genre and market. On May 24th, 2005 Petra announced their retirement after 33 years of ministry. They recorded one of their final performances in Franklin, Tennessee to release it as their last album, Farewell. Their last performance finished in the early hours of January 1, 2006 in Murphy, North Carolina. Bob Hartman and John Schlitt continue to tour under the moniker II Guys From Petra.
Lineups through the years:
Early 80's Captured in Time & Space lineup: Bob Hartman, Greg X. Volz, John Slick, Mark Kelly, Louie Weaver, John Lawry
Late 80's "Beyond Belief dream team" lineup: Bob Hartman, John Schlitt, John Lawry, Louie Weaver, Ronny Cates
Late 90's Petra Praise 2 - We Need Jesus lineup: John Schlitt, Louie Weaver, Lonnie Chapin, Pete Orta, Kevin Brandow
Farewell CD lineup: John Schlitt, Bob Hartman, Greg Bailey, Paul Simmons, with special appearances by Greg X. Volz and John Lawry
More members: Rob Frazier, Jim Cooper, David Lichens, Trent Thomason, Bryce Bell, Quinton Gibson, Justin Johnson
See also http://www.petraband.com/
Bema Seat
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There will be a trial by fire
Will your treasure pass the test
Or will it burn up with the rest
You may build upon a sure foundation
With your building in dilapidation
When it all comes down to rubble
Will it be wood, hay, or stubble
Are you really sure?
[Chorus]
And we all will stand at the Bema Seat
All will be revealed, it will be complete
Will there be reward in the fiery heat
When we see our lives at the Bema Seat
Every talent will be sure counted
Every word will have to be accounted
Not a story will be left untold
We will stand watch the truth unfold
Every score, will be evened, nothing to defend
Every building will be shaken
Every motive will be tried
He'll give reward to the faithful
Will you receive or be denied?
Petra's song Bema Seat is a contemplative piece about the eventual judgment that individuals must inevitably face. The song commences with the realization that after individuals retire from their labor, they will be subjected to a trial by fire, which will determine whether their treasures will pass the test or be burned up with the rest. The metaphor suggests that the things people build in their lives may not be as sturdy as they once thought, and when their lives come down to rubble, it is only then that the true worth of their labor will be revealed. This aspect of the song is aptly captured in the line "When it all comes down to rubble, Will it be wood, hay, or stubble? Or precious stones, gold, and silver, are you really sure?"
The song continues by noting the importance of every talent and word in one's life. Every story must be told, every score evened, as there will be nothing to defend on that day. On that day, every building will be shaken, and motives tried, but the faithful will be rewarded. The chorus of the song repeats that all will stand at Bema Seat, the great judgment seat of Christ, to witness the revealing of all things, and he will give rewards to the faithful while others are denied. In summary, this song is a call to be mindful of what individuals do with their talents, lives, and time on earth, as they will eventually face the judgment of Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
When our labor all retire
When we've finished our work and come to the end of our lives
There will be a trial by fire
There will be a judgment where our true worth will be tested
Will your treasure pass the test
Will the things you've valued and invested in be deemed worthwhile
Or will it burn up with the rest
Or will they be found wanting and perish
You may build upon a sure foundation
You may have thought you were building on something strong and certain
With your building in dilapidation
But in reality, your work may be showing signs of decay
When it all comes down to rubble
When everything is stripped away or destroyed
Will it be wood, hay, or stubble
Will your work be flimsy, cheap, or worthless
Or precious stones, gold and silver
Or will it be something of true value and worth
Are you really sure?
Do you truly believe that what you've done is going to last?
[Chorus]
This is the refrain, which will be repeated in the song
And we all will stand at the Bema Seat
We will all be judged based on our works and life choices
All will be revealed, it will be complete
Everything we've done, good or bad, will be made known and fully understood
Will there be reward in the fiery heat
Will the things we've done well be rewarded even in difficult and trying circumstances
When we see our lives at the Bema Seat
When we come face to face with our works and choices
Every talent will be sure counted
Every gift, ability, or resource we've had will be taken into account
Every word will have to be accounted
Every thought, motive, and deed will be scrutinized and judged
Not a story will be left untold
Every aspect of our lives, even the things we've tried to keep hidden or secret, will be exposed
We will stand watch the truth unfold
We will see all our deeds, both good and bad, revealed and evaluated
Every score, will be evened, nothing to defend
Everything will be balanced and judged fairly, with no room for excuses or arguments
Every building will be shaken
Everything we've built will be tested and evaluated for its true worth
Every motive will be tried
Every intention or purpose behind our actions will be scrutinized and judged
He'll give reward to the faithful
Those who have been faithful and true in their works and life choices will receive a reward
Will you receive or be denied?
Ultimately, the question remains: Will you be rewarded or punished based on your works and choices?
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: BOB HARTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thatMimosaGrove
When our labors all retire
There will be a trial by fire
Will your treasure pass the test
Or will it burn up with the rest
You may build upon a sure foundation
With your building in dilapidation
When it all comes down to rubble
Will it be wood, hay, or stubble
Or precious stones, gold and silver
Are you really sure
And we all will stand at the Bema Seat
All will be revealed, it will be complete
Will there be reward in the fiery heat
When we see our lives at the Bema Seat
Every talent will be surely counted
Every word will have to be accounted
Not a story will be left untold
We will stand and watch the truth unfold
Every score will be evened, nothing to defend
Every building will be shaken
Every motive will be tried
He'll give reward to the faithful
Will you receive or be denied?
Sh Ae
thatMimosaGrove they just don't write lyrics like this anymore!
Example:
How Great
Is our God
How Great
Is our God
How Great
How Great
Is our God
😂
Don't get me wrong, I'll praise The Father with either
🙌🙌🙌☝️️☝️️☝️️
Firecriss
"Not of this World"--first Christian album I ever bought. Always good to hear.
Chad Rasmussen
Amen
Joseph K
Oh yeah! Good as any rock band!
drummerman79
Me too....lol
compelx
Even if you hate Christian music, you must admit the variety of this band's music coming pretty much from one guy's head is amazing.
Elwood Blues
How well I remember taking a required theology class at the Christian college where I got my BA. And the professor was teaching about the Judgment Seat of Christ. He said that the Greek word was "bema". Half of the class sat up in attention; we had Petra's "Not Of This World" album, knew this song very well, and were pleasantly surprised to find out why Bob Hartman called it "the Bema Seat"!
joan mclean
That's awesome
Yahrek D. Ware
Amen
Bryan Pabustan
Now this answers my question what the heck does BEMA exactly mean. I knew very well that the song talks about the Judgment Seat but why used BEMA is a puzzle to me for the past 28 years. I became a Christian in 1986 and got exposed to Contemporary Christian Music in 1990.
CrazyDogMama
I was saved in 1982 and I played this album until it fell apart - lol! I still cry when I hear "Not of the this world" - thanks for this post.