“The Livingstone Valley of the Livingstone River”

Resurrection Sunday, April 12th, 2020. 12:01 PM.

The Livingstone Valley of the Livingstone River

He Has Risen From the Dead – and He is Lord!

Shakem’ Up and Wakem’ Up

We all sometimes need someone to give us a little shake on the shoulder to wake us up.

I remember my dad would wake me up in the morning with a little shake of my leg.

And it is written in the Scriptures:

“Awake, O sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you.” -Ephesians 5:14b. ESV Study Bible.

I live in the Blackstone Valley

Does that mean I’m in the valley of the blackstone?

Wondering if I’d feel happier living in a place with a more uplifting sound to it – like

Livingstone Valley

The Livingstone Valley of the Livingstone River

It sounds sonorous to me . . .

What do you think about it?

What about Livingsocket for a name – instead of Woonsocket?

“Socket it to me,” they used to say on the show “Laugh In” back in the day, in the 1960s. Remember?

Or . . . The City of Livingstone in Living Island on the Rhode to The Kingdom of God.

The Brothers Four ~ Try to Remember

Paul Robeson – Ol’ Man River (Showboat – 1936) J.Kern O. Hammerstein II

Freedom

Freedom

Maybe we need a new song to go with a new name.

Maybe, instead of “Old Man River”

We need a new song about a new man and a new river.

Hmmm . . .

There’s something in the Scriptures ‘bout

The River of Life

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

“The angel said to me, ‘These words are trustworthy and true.’ The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”

-Revelation 22:1-7. NIV Study Bible.

O that Young Man River. . . that Young Man River

He must know something

Ya’ he must know somethin’ – He changed his name!

Old men don’t change their names.

Only a new man can and should change his name!

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. -2 Corinthians 5:16-21. NIV Study Bible.

“As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.” -2 Corinthians 6:1, 2. NIV Study Bible.

To proclaim his new life

To tell everyone about it!

What about this for his new name?

Jonathan Livingston Seagull!

Even the form of his body changed

Even his method of traveling changed

From only walking . . . to being able to fly, too!

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Skybird

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – The Odyssey

The odyssey is odd and it isn’t easy — at first . . .

1 Peter 2:1-10.

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

“For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

A cornerstone chosen and precious,

And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

“So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

The stone that the builders rejected

Has become the cornerstone,

And

“A stone of stumbling’

And a rock of offense.

“They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” -1 Peter 2:1-10. ESV Study Bible.

Neil Diamond / Be / Lonely Looking Sky [HQ]