On October 5, 2019, Laurelbrook’s church services began with a Sabbath School song service led by Eiddelyn (sophomore) and Yzzynne (sophomore), accompanied on the piano by Freddy (sophomore).
The opening song was “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”. Daryll Ellis welcomed everyone and invited them to gain the blessing God wants them to have. Kelly (sophomore) read Joshua 4:3 “And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye s’hall lodge this night.”
Jafet (sophomore) had prayer. Kelly Ann and Eiddelyn (sophomores) then read a mission story from Kenya. She called for the Laurelbrook Missions Offering, which was collected by Eiddelyn (sophomore) and Jordan (junior). Gustavo (junior), Miguel (junior), Jafet (sophomore), and Heissel (sophomore) sang a song for special music.
Dorka Ellis then had the theme talk about the miracles God did for Joshua and his people at the Jordan and the miracles He is willing to do for us today. After her talk, she announced the classes. Clayton Brandt taught the adult Sabbath School class in the main sanctuary, Stephanie Roy-Lavallee had a student class that met outside under a tree, and Ruan Swanepoel taught a student class in the boys’ dorm lobby. The seniors were away at the Laurelbrook Alumni Association campout in the Smoky Mountains.
Some notes from the theme talk:
- Ellen White says that we don’t have to fear for the future unless we forget how God has helped us in the past.
- Joshua 3:1-17 “1 ¶ And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed [this] way heretofore. 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7 ¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. 10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God [is] among you, and [that] he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. 12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. 14 ¶ And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16 That the waters which came down from above stood [and] rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that [is] beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, failed, [and] were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”
- The Israelites had to follow directions very carefully.
- Everyone individually had to seek the Lord to ask Him that the miracle would occur. Everything that could be moved out of their lives was moved.
- The Lord affirmed that this miraculous crossing would take place and that the Jewish conquest of Canaan would take place.
- Then the priests moved into the Jordan and the waters parted. The people had to move forward with the priests (but at a distance).
- We have to move forward and trust in the Lord.
- In Joshua 4, a person from each tribe would pick up a stone and carry it out of the river so the Israelites would have a memorial of the miracle.
- We can read about this miracle and realize that God can work miracles in our lives.
Personnel Other Than Students:
Clayton Brandt – works with Laurelbrook’s heavy equipment and trash
Daryll Ellis – local church deacon / works for a nearby stone company
Dorka Ellis – wife of Daryll Ellis
Ruan Swanepoel – Laurelbrook farm manager
Stephanie Roy-Lavallee – head girls’ dean / wife of Sebastian Roy-Lavallee, the men’s work coordinator