When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received “the latter rain,” “the refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19), and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received “the seal of the living God” (Revelation 7:2).

Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, “It is done,” and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11). Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The number of His subjects is made up; “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven” (Daniel 7:27), is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and Jesus is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s longsuffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn.—The Great Controversy, 613, 614.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 160
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Prayer request for Robert who had shoulder surgery and they discovered he had stomach cancer and his sister Carol is in a coma my neighbor is asking prayer for them both they are her cousins. M
—-Please pray for the family of a dear friend of mine. Her 5 month old grandson passed away this morning very unexpectedly. He had some medical problems, and had a couple of surgeries in his first month of life, but everything seemed to be under control and he was doing well! They are of course devastated. Mary
—-Please keep my friend Dwight’s mom in prayer. She is 92 years old, may have a detached retina and doesn’t want to have surgery if all possible. Heidi
—-Please continue to pray for E and children. R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,

For years, I would pass an apartment house beside a bar on the way home from work each day. On the steps of this brick building, a woman, obviously poor, waited for the school bus to drop off her small son. As I’d wait behind the bus, I would smile. Although she lived in an area not conducive to raising a child, she had much love in her heart. As soon as she would see her son get off from the bus, her face would light up and she would give him and hug and a kiss and take him inside.

One day when I came back from a vacation, this apartment house began to be torn down. What a surprise it was to see its crumbled remains. My thoughts immediately went to this woman and her son. Where were they now? Were their living conditions better or worse? It is for sure that they will not be able to live in the building that is being constructed in its place. This building is a part of the city’s beautification project and looks like the apartments will be very expensive.

How often we feel as if we are that old apartment building. We can become wrecked physically, materially, emotionally, or spiritually or any combination thereof. We feel like the man who had built his house upon the sand with our “house” crumbling all around us. Praise God! There is a Chief Cornerstone Who can keep our building from crumbling! Jesus, Himself, is “the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” Luke 20:17,18 No matter what happens to us, if we have Jesus as our Cornerstone, we have a Firm Foundation upon which to rely.

When we have the Cornerstone in our spiritual house, our solid foundation contains all the great truths of the Bible. Every one of these truths are critically important to the soundness of our “building.” Without any one of those “stones of truth” our structure would crumble and fall just as surely as all the buildings on that city block were torn down. David asks a question—a question that we would do well to ponder. He asks, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Ps 11:3

There are some who try to remove a foundation stone here and there, but that has caused disastrous results. After the question in this psalm, Paul gives the answer to those who would remove these stones of truth. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.” 2 Tim 2:19 We have “an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.” Heb 6:19 We have a foundation that is solid. We do not have to waver and be in perplexity by the teachings of men that attempt to undermine the Truth, for Jesus has said, “in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Mark 7:7

We do not have to be as a “wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” if we will take the Bible just as it reads. James 1:6 Moreover, if we have found ourselves on a shaky foundation because we have listened to others as they have attempted to pull the foundation out from under us, the Master Builder can rebuild us just like that city block is being rebuilt.

May we build upon the Solid Rock keeping in place every stone of the foundation of truth, that we may be like the “man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon” the Rock. Matt 6:48

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/the-spirit-finally-withdrawn.html