Laurelbrook Academy SDA Church

The church service in the Laurelbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church on February 3, 2018 began with Sarah (senior) and Brill and Leilani (sophomores) leading the congregation in singing “I’d Rather Have Jesus”. 

Ginny Arce had a few ideas about water.  She had some of the students go to the C.N.A. house, fill pans with water, and soak their feet in the water.  This is a good way to release us from headaches and nausea by restoring circulation. 

Rich Sutton welcomed everyone and made a few announcements. Vespers with a senior panel discussion will be in auditorium this evening at 5:00. 

Sarah (senior) and Brill and Leilani (sophomores) continued leading the congregation in singing “I’d Rather Have Jesus”. 

Jeremy Westcott played an introit. The congregation had a silent invocation.  The congregation then sang “A Shelter in the Time of Storm”. Clifton Brandt then had the Morning Prayer; the congregation sang “Hear Our Prayer”. 

Citlali (senior) then called for the offering.  Elijah (junior) and Daryll Ellis then collected the morning offerings; the loose offering went to the local church budget.  The congregation sang the doxology, and Citlali prayed for the offering.  

Rachel (junior) then told the children a story. Moises (sophomore) then read Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

Jester Felarca and his son Mark (sophomore) sang a vocal duet, accompanied by Jester for special music.

Clifton Brandt discussed the topic “The Blessed Hope in the Coming Trouble”. The congregation sang “We’ll Build on the Rock”.   Clifton Brandt had the closing prayer.

 
Personnel Other Than Students:

Clifton Brandt – works with Laurelbrook’s boiler, water, and sewer systems as well as general maintenance
Ginny Arce – works with the music department and institution selling on various web sites
Jeremy Westcott – one of the academy teachers
Jester Felarca – works as a C.N.A. in the Laurelbrook Nursing Home

Following are some notes on the sermon by Clifton Brandt:

1. Coming before the Second Coming is a great crisis.
2. Daniel 7:2-8 “2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
3. Winds symbolize strife and bloodshed i.e. warfare.
4. Jeremiah 49:34-37 “34 ¶ The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. 36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. 37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:”
5. Daniel 7:2 – winds represent warfare / the sea is humanity.
6. Four kingdoms came up from warfare.
7. Daniel 7:19-20 “19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.” 
8. Revelation 13:1-2 “1 ¶ And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:” 
9. John is looking back where the philosophy came from with the four beasts in reverse order.
10. Revelation 13:1 – note the name of blasphemy mentioned
11. Daniel 7:20 “And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.” Note that it was a smaller kingdom coming up after the ten horns. It would come up among them and after them.
12. Verse 24 says that this little horn will be different.
13.  Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
14. A time represents a year. A Biblical year represents 360 days. This power would persecute the saints for 1260 years.
15. Revelation 13:2-3 “2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”
16. Note that the little horn would have eyes and perceive what is to come.  It is far-reaching in its plans.
17. This little horn is the papacy – a persecuting power that we need to watch.
18. Revelation 14:11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” 
19. The United States silently grew into power as the papal power was going down. Eventually, however, the United States will join the papacy to persecute the people of God.
20. The changing of times and law deals with man’s attempt to change the day of the Sabbath.
21. In Poland, the Law and Justice Party started to pass a law in November to force retail businesses to close within a few years on Sunday. Many countries in Europe have Sunday laws.
22. The Lord’s Day Alliance in the U.S. may be used to bring in Sunday laws by asserting that Sunday is the 7th day. This same organization figures that they can accomplish Sunday sacredness by joining with other organizations.
23. Revelation 13:15 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
24. Then John talks about a mark to be put in the hand of those who worship on Sunday.
25. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, our only way to stand this test.
26. The image to the beast will be set up as the final test before the close of probation.  We must have Jesus abiding in us to withstand this test.
27. Evergreens in a forest are revealed in winter when other trees lose their leaves. The true believer will stand like a rock in the End-Time persecution.
28. Jesus will be our only refuge when we are exposed to “celestial glory” and other miracles used by Satan to deceive those whom he can.