The Kings of the Earth

Dec. 9, 2014

by Bob Farrell

The Last Word

The Saviour Compassion Tour is underway - if you haven’t checked to see if we’re coming your way, please go to my page on FB and look at the tour schedule (last Sunday night in Tulsa was sold-out, as are the five shows this weekend in Akron - wow).

Now let’s get back to the Saviour story.

In our last episode of ‘The Story of God’s Passion For His People’ God delivered the people of Israel from the yoke of slavery under Pharaoh; and brought them into the Promised Land, fulfilling the promise he had made to their fathers; over the Jordan and into their own ‘land of milk and honey’, to live in fellowship with Him and at peace with their fellow-man - except that’s not how it played out.

Check out Samuel’s ‘farewell speech’ (I Sa 12), where he reminded the folks how God gave them Moses to lead their forefathers out of bondage, settled them into their new digs - and then they promptly ‘forgot the Lord their God’ and He ‘sold them into the hands of the Philistines’ - right back into slavery.

Ooo. Then, realizing their plight, the Israelites returned to form and ‘cried out to the Lord’: “We sinned - we worshipped Baal - we screwed up - we need deliverance - help us and we will serve you!” And God did. He raised up several prophet leaders - including Samuel. But the folks didn’t (serve Him, that is).

So that soon they were back in hot water with new enemies, only this time they begged God for something new: a king. “Put a king over us, then we’ll be like all the other nations - he’ll lead us and go out before us and fight our battles. Regrettably you, Samuel, are too old and your wayward sons aren’t qualified - so make it a good one - just not you.” 

They wanted what all the other nations had: a king of the earth.

I say be careful what you ask for.

The Promised Land

Nov.11, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Over The Jordan

I’m in such a Saviour mode right now I think I’ll just continue stepping through the oratorio - right up to the Saviour Tour sponsored by Compassion International, Dec. 7-20, 2014, with soloists Larnelle Harris, Wayne Watson, Angie Primm, and Rod Fletcher.

By the way, if you haven’t done so please visit our new page @ facebook.com/SaviourOratorio. I’ll be posting this week on FB how you can attend a performance and even print some posters for your church.

Last time we were with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, ending with the fall of man. Let’s pick up the thread of the Story of God’s Passion for His People by going forward hundreds of years, to a time when Israel was groaning under the bondage of slavery.

Much had transpired in those intervening years - stories of triumph and tribulation. I still remember my first reading of Old Testament scriptures and stories, and how it struck me that those folks seemed to ebb and flow in huge, drastic swings - and mostly paid the price for their willfulness, pride, and rebellion.

I’m so glad us children of God are no longer like that.  Right.

Let me set the scene for “The Promised Land”: the people of Israel slaves in Egypt under the tyrananical rule of Pharaoh; weeping and wailing and much gnashing of teeth; crying out for God.

And He heard them.

Where Are You, Adam

Oct.27, 2014

by Bob Farrell

The Deed Had Been Done

I know I’m biased about the songs I’ve written and co-written, but that’s sort of why this blog even exists - because I feel impassioned enough 20+ years later to remind you of what I said, why I said it, and why I think it’s important to re-say it herein.

Last Saturday night Saviour, A Modern Oratorio was performed at Carnegie Hall to a full house - an evening that defies recounting and where waves of glory shone brightly from start to finish. Impeccable solos by Larnelle Harris, Twila Paris, Steve Green, Wayne Watson, and newcomer Karon Jackson (quite a surprise); 200-voice choir, 60-piece orchestra; and the mighty talents of Concertmeister David Hamilton - all on display - and all on 10.

My 23-year-old grandson, Isaac, texted me this morning: “...I’ll never forget that...it’s by far the coolest thing I’ve ever done”; similar sentiment came from both my daughters, the other three grandsons, my lovely wife of 45 years - and countless others that witnessed this magical night. Here’s some Farrell clan up in their ‘box’ looking triumphant and sleek in their fancy duds.

And here’s the link to an IPhone bootleg video that’s already had 1800 views on FB this morning: the finale “So Shall We Live” (Carnegie should know by now that despite their rules and regs someone’s going to record and post).

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152889137672787&set=vb.677832786&type=2&theater

So what’s all the big deal about Saviour? I’ve got a clue for you: it’s the story it tells.

My Heart Belongs To You

Oct. 6, 2014

by Bob Farrell

The Way We Were

Hello to everyone. I”m back from my summer break, which got extended a bit due to work I’ve been doing recently for upcoming Saviour performances: one at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 25; and a tour of this oratorio sponsored by Compassion Int’l, Dec. 5-21. I’ll be posting tour schedule and ways you can help us promote the tour - and if you have any way to join us in NYC please don’t miss this gala event celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Saviour (I''ll be there with my tux on).

In an earlier blog installment concerning the song “In the Beginning” from Saviour (which tells the story of God’s pursuit of man through the ages), I set the stage to tell the next part of that story: God’s creation of man.

After God created the heavens and the earth, all the birds of the air and creatures of the oceans, all the flora and fawna of land and sea, all the creatures that inhabit the earth and the oceans - and saw that it was all good - He turned His handiwork to that of the very pinnacle of His creation: Adam. And from the rib of Adam He gave him a help-meet, so he would not be alone: Eve.

God made man and woman in His image - which is Spirit. He created them to be ones with whom He could have fellowship - as sentient beings whom He could know intimately - walk with - sing with.

I can think of no more passionate relationship than that which existed between God and man at that point - and no more intimate portrayal of that love and affinity than God and Adam singing to each other - the way we were in the Garden of Eden.

Summer Break

I need to apologize to everyone for going dark the last couple weeks - sorry.

Summer madness is upon us, what with vacations, visits from family and friends, projects out on our 10 acres of raw land, plus the writing I continue doing on book manuscripts.

I did want to share an interview I did recently on WKRN Nashville that ran on July 4th weekend - sort of marking 4 years since the Nashville Flood of 2010.

If you haven't done so yet go to Amazon and get a copy of When the Rains Fall, my book about God's restoration of our lives after the cataclysm.  People have really been responding positively, with many comments like "a must read", "couldn't put it down", "very inspiring" - all music to my ears.  And a true affirmation of why I wanted to tell my and Jayne's story - as encouragement.

I promise My Manifesto will be back soon.  Everybody enjoy your summer break - as I will be :)

Superpower

June 16, 2014

by Bob Farrell

The Final Call

WWII ended in 1945 with the defeat of Nazi Germany and the Imperial forces of Japan by Allied forces, but right on the heels of that triumph began The Cold War, as Communist Russia under Joseph Stalin began oppressing Eastern Europeans - an enslavement that continued until the Wall they had erected in 1961, dividing East from West Germany, was torn down in November, 1989.

Myself and the rest of the world learned all manner of new terms during the Cold War, such as ‘fallout shelter’, ‘nuclear detente’, ‘Iron Curtain’, and the moniker that denoted the two major opponents in the struggle, the U.S. and the USSR: superpowers.

During the 80s Jayne and I travelled and sang several times in Communist Poland and East Germany, including 30 shows in Moscow and Leningrad in 1988. We got to see first-hand that Wall begin to crumble.

I’ve never been a very politically-charged animal, but the heart we had for the plight of Eastern Europeans led to several songs making their way onto F&F albums, including “The Meek and the Mighty”, “Manifesto” - and “Superpower”.

Maker of Dreams

June 9, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Seeds of Believing

What would we do without our dreams? How would we ever get from day to day without hope?

The Psalmsist instructs us to “put our hope in God”, that “our hope comes from Him”.  Jeremiah the Prophet said: “The Lord says: ‘For I know the plans I have for you - plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’”.

Paul the Apostle gave us the road-map for walking in ‘the most excellent way’, by living our lives governed by the three greatest abiding principles in life: faith, hope, and love.

Genesis tells us the story of God’s destiny for a young 17-year-old named Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph had dreams (actual nocturnal ones); in one the sun, moon, and stars bowed down to him; in another one his sheaves of grain were the tallest and his brothers’ sheaves all bowed down to his.

When Joseph shared his dream with those older brothers it wasn’t well-received. Duh. Older brothers in the Old Testament did not bow down to young-dumb-and-stupid. They first threw Joseph in a pit for pay-back, then sold him to a caravan of slavers. Joseph eventually ended up in Egypt, second in command to Pharoah. You could say he then had many, many folks bowing down to him.

Evidently there was validity to Joseph’s dream - God did have an ultimate destiny in mind - plans to prosper him and not harm him - plans to give him hope and a future.

God just had to take that 17-year-old through a lot of character tests before He could bring him into his destiny.

News flash: we’re all Josephs.

The Sting

June 2, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Fatal

I wrote a song in 1985 for the F&F Jump To Conclusions album that most people got - but some did not. It’s called ”The Sting”, the music a fine piece of Michael Demus techno work, the melody and words from yours truly.

The giant metaphor I employed was likening the temptations of sin to that of the female spider, who lures in an unsuspecting male, ostensibly for mating, then fatally stabs him and eats him. The sting.

The mistake people make is in thinking the “she” in the lyric refers to a human seductress - not so. For me that would be too over-stated and a bit crass. And the metaphorical “she” I allude to is in actuality male or female: “We all fall short of the glory of God”.

It’s the process of that “fall” that is really the subject of the song; and the story’s spider-protagonist is none other than man’s oldest and wiliest enemy: Old Slewfoot, the devil.

The enemy came as a serpent in the Garden of Eden; the scripture says he “stalks us like a hungry lion, seeking whom he might devour”. In this instance he’s an arachnid femme fatale.

God Of All Of Me

May 26, 2014

by Bob Farrell

The Gold Exchange

My Utmost for His Highest is a classic of devotional literature written by Oswald Chambers published in 1924: a compilation of sermons to students and soldiers - still challenging us student-disciples and soldiers of the cross to give ourselves to God.

When we pray to receive Christ as Lord of our life, Jesus does just as he promises: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him and stay with him and he with Me.”

Clear enough - and true enough. He does exactly as he says, and we are filled with His abiding presence.

There’s an old joke about the man kneeling at the altar and over-hearing someone next to him asking God to fill him completely. The man then returns to his own prayer, saying flatly: “Don’t do it, Lord. He leaks.”

Uh-huh. That is a problem. We humans are leaky vessels - and will be all our days here on earth. We mean well, certainly we don’t want to insult or grieve the abiding Holy Spirit of God, but our human-ness always seems to predominate.

What I love about the writing in Utmost is the unerring way Chambers leads the reader inexorably to the wisdom and truth of the Bible, exhorting us to be diligent in our struggle with ‘the flesh and the devil’ - through surrender.

In the mid-90s Word Records released an album of song-interpretations of Utmost devotions, and I was blessed to have several songs on the project, including the GMA Song of the Year-nominated “A Heart Like Mine”, performed by Bryan Duncan; and a song I want to spotlight today, co-written with Michael W. Smith and performed by Sandi Patty: “God Of All Of Me”.

Home Will Find You

May 19, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Keep Reaching

A few months ago I introduced you to Le Voyage - the allegory depicting the Everyman character Traveller - and its opening song “Little Narrow Gate”.  Let’s continue the chronicle of his journey from that place of its beginnings.

Once through the ‘Gate of Dreams’, Companion greets Traveller on the other side and tells him in glowing terms about his ultimate destination: The Homeplace.

there's a Place not far away - forever and beyond

where a Morning Star ignites the sky

with a Light that needs no sun

and if you walk with Me, I'll gladly take you there

it's a Land where dreams come true

and doubts are swept away

a Homeplace to the Traveller

who's questioning his way

and if you're lost the power of Love will bring you home 

The Homeplace.  A feeling - a dream - a place.  All of that and more, and a Guide who promises to take you there, if you only take His hand.

Choose To Love

May 12, 2014

by Bob Farrell

It's a Verb

Love is probably the most bashed-about and bandied-about word used - in any language. It’s regularly abducted to sell cars, jewelry, holiday cards, vacation cruises, bank cards, season tickets, cranberries...(somebody stop me here).

A word-driven concept so cheapened by over-use and mis-use as to become almost useless - it’s true meaning and significance taken hostage and buried under a commercial avalanche.

I personally have never claimed to be the poster-child of love - indeed the opposite has been more my habitual m.o. It’s always been easier for me to love me more than you. In fact I’m more the poster-child for the philosophy that espouses: “I love all of humanity - I just don’t like people”.

Oh, come on, Bob, that’s a seriously-skewed self-indictment.

Not really. Mother Teresa said: “Not all of us can do great things - but we can do small things with great love”.

I’d have to say that if there’s a Mother Teresa living within me she’s crippling around on two broken legs.  Maybe that's a bit over the top, but honestly my natural tendency has been to put me and mine first.

 And never was that tendency exposed and spotlighted more than when I became a believer in Jesus and learned the scripture: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son - that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Now there’s a concept. And therein lies the true meaning of love.

Love is truly a noun - but it is mostly a verb.

For it is something you must choose to do.

Lifesaver

May 5, 2014

by Bob Farrell

No Kiddin'

Seems appropriate today to talk about swirling water, as it was four years ago this past weekend that Jayne and I were caught in the deluge of rain, rain, rain that fell on Nashville.

A very long day was May 1, 2010, as we fought the rising brown water (which eventually rose to five feet in our home) engulfing us and all our worldly possessions.

You can read my account of our experience of catastrophe, aftermath, and recovery in my book When the Rains Fall (on Amazon) - the full 4-1-1 of miracles and blessings the Lord bestowed on us.

One of those blessings was The Lifesaver Tribute, a benefit concert given by our good friends to raise funds for our comeback: performances by Amy Grant, Kirk and Deby Dearman, The Pat Terry Group, Susan Ashton, Mark and Brynn Gershmehl.   Sweet Lori Loving performed most of the promoting and logistics for the concert.  Pat Terry sang an old F&F song of mine that night that hit the perfect chord.

About almost drowning.

Just In Time

Apr. 28, 2014

by Bob Farrell

New Eyes

Bartimaeus was a blind man that lived in Jericho and who sat outside the city gate and begged. One day Jesus and a large group of disciples came right down his road, and when Bartimaeus learned exactly who it was passing by him he had a fit and began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

All the other folks around Bartimaeus rebuked him, telling him to shut up. He didn’t. He screamed more and louder. Jesus had Bart brought over to him and asked him what he wanted. “Rabbi, I want to see,” to which the Son of God replied: “Go, your faith has healed you.”

And straight-away he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

That’s just one of many stories told in vacation Bible school, and what I love about those miracle stories is that they’re about us - every one of us. We all need Jesus’ healing touch - sometimes physically, always spiritually and emotionally.

We all need new eyes.

All That You've Done For Me

Apr. 21, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Gospel Story

Yesterday was Easter and like many of you I viewed a couple of vintage films about the life of Christ. I watched Kings of Kings and The Greatest Story Ever Told - such beautiful sets, stunning locations, powerful storytelling.

And once again I was amazed, awe-inspiried, and humbled at the sheer magnitude of what God did for each one of us in sending his Son to this earth.

Gospel story - so amazing how He

Left His glory for a manger

On the coldest of nights He came

Wise men traveled from the Far East, following a prophecy and a star that declared a new King was born in the vey un-kingly surroundings of a cattle stall in a sleepy Israeli village.

The stars proclaimed, the angels sang 

The King is born! 

He lights way for every man 

He is the Lord! 

No ordinary man came to us all, but the very Son of God - born of a Virgin - all man yet all God - come to seek and to save that which was lost: me.

All that You’ve done for me 

What can I do for You 

I’m wantin’ my life to be committed to You 

All that You’ve done for me 

I’m takin’ my stand for You 

Tellin’ the world that I’m indebted to You 

A man on a mission: born to this world specifically to make a living sacrifice for the sake of all mankind.

The Way of Sorrows - paid a ransom for me 

Had to borrow a tomb to lay Him 

On that coldest of nights He died 

By that death God’s greatest miracle ever changed all of history for all of time: the death of death.

Just like He said not even death 

Could keep Him in 

He broke right through those chains of death 

He rose again! 

Mission accomplished - sin and the grave defeated - the Door swung open wide for ‘whosoever will’ to walk through it into the mercy and grace of Almighty God.

All the story one needs to hear - to fall down before God and receive his Son.

The Gospel story.










(lyrics by Bob Farrell, music by Mike Demus, circa. 1979 - recorded on F&F Make Me Ready)
Photo Credit: The Ronald Grant Collection

God Loves You

Apr. 14, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Unconditional

How many unconditional guarantees are there in this world?  I mean truly unconditional.  

Tires replaced free forever, whether you ever bother to put enough air in them - or you drive them 24-7 over broken shards of glass.  Carpet replaced in a home with no roof.  A free new cell phone for the one you place in a tub of water each night before retiring to bed.

I think if you read the fine print you’ll find the manufacturer / retailer of said product will take exception to all kinds of consumer abuse before they honor any unconditional guarantees.  Unconditional under certain conditions.

Not so with our Heavenly Father.  His very name = love.  

And that a love that can never be taken from you; has no time limit; requires no performance qualifications on the part of the recipient.  Cannot be earned by good behavior - cannot be lost through abusive behavior.  Knows no boundaries and can be redeemed from any point in the universe.

That seems an overly generous and humungously huge variety of love, Bob.  It ‘tis, reader.  Nothing can hold or contain it hugeness.

And within the soul of every human there resides a longing to seek out that love - to know its fulness - to experience its security.

There is a Savior

Apr. 7, 2014

by Bob Farrell

For Each Tomorrow - and Yesterday

This past weekend F&F did a concert in Southaven, MS, for two small churches that went in together to host us. We had an absolute blast singing to that so appreciative audience.

We normally do several songs with trax, like “He Reigns”, “People in a Box” - and several guitar ballads like “Scars”, “Ransome”, “Boundless Love”. They asked us to stay over and sing in their Sunday morning service and Jayne led the congregation in several choruses and hymns.

One of those hymns happened to be the first song I wrote with Greg Nelson, in 1980, and was the first of many songs of mine cut by Sandi Patty: “There is a Savior”.

There’s a tenderness and serenity that comes through that song that has touched lots of folks over the years, it has appeared in half a dozen hymnals and been recorded many times. It’s not easy creating a ‘new hymn’ that has the feel and genuineness of an ‘old hymn’ - but I’ve always believed “There is a Savior” does.

Are there burdens in your heart 

Are there doubts that struggle against you? 

Is there some pain that you've carried too long? 

Then strengthen your heart with His good news 

There is a Savior who will carry you 

The simple truth: life is full of frailty and challenge - and there is One who will carry you through them.

There is a Savior 

What joys express 

His eyes are mercy 

His word is rest 

For each tomorrow 

For yesterday 

There is a Savior 

Who lights our way 

When you contemplate you life 

Is your past a memory that binds you? 

Has peace of mind simply stolen away? 

Then open your heart with joy anew 

There is a Savior who’s forgiven you 

It has always baffled me how we humans wrestle with our dilemmas, clinging to our own solutions, most times at the expense of our peace of mind - before finally turning to God.

Jesus said: Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden - and I will give you rest.

For each tomorrow - for yesterday - there is a Savior.

(lyrics from "There is a Saviour" by Bob Farrell, Music by Greg Nelson, circa 1980)

Get Right or Get Left

Mar. 31, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Go With Him

My 2nd installment of this blog on Dec. 2, 2013 featured the F&F song “Manifesto” and was sub-titled Say It - the point being that there are things worth standing up for and proclaiming. Things that have to be said whether they’re popular or not. That as a follower of Christ we’re duty-bound to say them - in love.

I have to say I’ve never found Jesus to be very politically correct. He is love personified, but He always told people the truth even when it stung. He talked about hell more than anyone in the New Testament, and He aimed His toughest jabs at the religious crowd, the Pharisees and Sadducees - calling them a “brood of vipers” and “whited sepulchers full of dead men’s bones”.

Ouch.

I’m not very PC either, simply because I find the exercise faux-reality - a fake human attempt to level life’s playing field by dreaming up euphemisms and labels. In the 50s world I grew up in if someone had said ‘sanitation technician’ rather than ‘trash man’ they couldn’t have done it with a straight face. Just sayin’.

One of my fave Christian bands ever was DeGarmo & Key and their songs weren’t very PC either. Eddie DeGarmo and I co-produced CCM’s first techno music with Choices; F&F toured with D&K extensively, shows where Dana Key always stayed true to his convictions and oft times blistered the crowd with his preaching. Dana went home to Jesus in 2010 - I very much miss him and his scorching sermons.

I vividly remember the first day Eddie, Dana, and I wrote together in ‘82, reeling off two very strong tunes; one of D&K’s biggest: “Let the Whole World Sing” - and “Get Right or Get Left”, which appears on Choices.

A little ditty that pretty much answers the quiz question about our PC-ness.