By John Thiel

The truth that we enjoy in the Three Angels Messages and every truth connected with it in the last days is all present truth and it comes from Gods guidance to the pioneers of our faith. They laboured hours and studied out this platform of truth which we can take easily for granted. The hours and prayer that went into to studying is our anchor. The bitter experience of 1844 of which Revelation speaks of and the little book that was given and opened. The understanding of Daniel was coming to light so they ate this book and it was sweet in their mouth but as they had made a mistake, not the date, but the event of the date of 1844 they became very bitterly disappointed. If you can imagine the faith that would have been shifted and moved and so many people would have been washed away. This is only a shadow of the disappointments we will have if our anchor is not in Jesus Christ. People sold their houses and lands because Jesus was coming on October 22. Thousands were disappointed and thousands faith wrecked.

Revelation 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Although this great disappointment was experienced, the angel said there is more work to do. There is more faith strengthening experiences to have in the future. There must be a standing before the kings of the earth and prophesying teaching the truth. But to a company of people whose faith had been shaken, I have to go do it again? After the opinions of people, the mockers, they were mocked. The scripture said go prophesy again that Jesus is coming. Here is the answer or the understanding they needed to prophecy again.

Revelation 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Now you have to go and prophesy before every one again. To human nature, they may have said, I don’t want to move out of my closet, I’m so ashamed and disappointed at the thought of preaching again. The material they had to preach about had a different note to it. The topic was the temple of God, the altar and the condition of the worshippers. When you measure something, you’re understanding the measurements of the wall. You are understanding what it is. When it’s saying for us to measure the temple, its saying go and see how things work and happen. Its saying leave the court out. It’s speaking directly in regard to heaven to draw your attention of the dimensions of haven, the altar and the worshipers. The bible has more scriptures to back this by where we are to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. We are to measure where we are at. Not just where we are at but also the altar where the prayers are offered and blood sprinkled and everything to do with the sanctuary. We know this became truth to the advent people. It unfolded the Sabbath, reformation standards and the atonement of Jesus Christ and everything we hold today. The aspects to measure the temple, altar and the worshippers, is to consider the measurement of the worshippers.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.

13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

This description is a of a measurement of what love is. It’s giving the dimensions of love. When I was a child, when I was small, I did those things which children do. I thought the way children thought. The question is, are we children or men and women in Christ? Children isn’t just your age and height and educational status.

Galatians 4:1 Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all;

4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

The biblical description of a child is someone who is under the elements of the world. The works of the flesh are murmurers, adultery, lasciviousness, emulation, when you look at children they do those things in childish ways. A child when it feels unhappy it cries. When it feels happy it laughs. When it feels like wanting something it goes for that thing. It naturally goes for the flesh. A child cannot control itself. If the environment is good it’s happy, if it’s sad, it’s sad. It can’t cut against the grain unless born again. God has given us a ministry to help us grow out of our childish ways.

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

4:14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

You can see the principle here that God is communicating that we are to grow up into a man and woman in Christ so when the temple is measured that we are found complete in him. The measurement of this temple is nothing short of the judgement hour measurement that we are in the time of the investigative judgment. God is measuring the temple and so are we to. We are to know where we are in spiritual growth. We can discern certain waymarks and mind exercises if we are still under the laments of the world or if we are becoming men and women. The process that God puts us through to become stable and valiant like Daniel, to have a purpose firm, to have a firm anchor so that when disappointments happen, we don’t go with the stream saying it’s too hard and letting the waters carry us. That we have a mature attitude in Christ. We now read how God will bring us to a stable condition. Love tells us how we should be. It doesn’t fluctuate but in every circumstance can be there. Paul says when he was a child he fluctuated like a child.

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you].

This is a good combination of words. Establish, strengthen and settle. Does it sound like your anchor is holding under that circumstance? God is calling us as men and women in Christ to have this stature. For us to actually become men and women in Christ we need to suffer for a while. How long is a while? We can suffer for a while and think now is enough. I’ve suffered for a while Lord, you can stop it. When we have had enough, we have only just started.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

In Revelation it says here is the patience of the saints and here are they that keep the commandments of God and faith of Jesus. Here are a people who have suffered for a while, not our while but Gods. That patient suffering will work something in you. If we can know this, it will help us to bear. When something bad happens to us and suddenly revealed why, we say if I only I knew before, I wouldn’t have reacted. God is trying to encourage us that knowing this we have to grow up into Christ and think this is how I do it. We have to let the sufferings to happen for a while. Don’t try and go in the back door. Let it have its perfect work in you. When it’s had its work, you’ll be perfect with the stature of Christ. When its measured you’ll be complete in him.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

1:8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

Double mindedness is nothing short of childish activity. A child is always double minded. It wants something then it doesn’t, its happy and it’s sad and God is calling us to a position of stability to put your anchor in. How does it happen? By suffering for a while and letting it produce a manhood that can be firm like Daniel. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways because if we are minding all these things of the flesh, if we are thinking about how we are feeling, reacting and how our flesh is, if we mind our flesh, we will do the things of the flesh.

Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

What do we mind in life? What do we care about? If know that the trying of our faith works patience, then when we go into a suffering exp, we can mind the things of the spirit. When we think about what God is doing in our lives, it’s actually a rejoicing. Although it’s a suffering to the flesh you can rejoice. This is what happened to the apostles, they were in prison and all sorts of trouble but they didn’t let it get to them. They rejoiced as their mind was on the things of the spirit and not the flesh.

Faith in Christ is not the work of nature, but the work of God on human minds, wrought in the very soul by the Holy Spirit, who reveals Christ, as Christ revealed the Father. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. With its justifying, sanctifying power, it is above what men call science. It is the science of eternal realities. Human science is often deceptive and misleading, but this heavenly science never misleads. It is so simple that a child can understand it, and yet the most learned men cannot explain it. It is unexplainable and immeasurable, beyond all human expression. {OHC 117.2}

The acceptance of Christ’s atonement is the groundwork of true faith. . . . Those who will look long enough into the divine mirror to see and despise their sins, their unlikeness to the meek and lowly Jesus, will have strength to overcome. All who truly believe will confess and forsake their sins. They will cooperate with Christ in the work of bringing their hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong under the control of the divine will, so that sin shall not have dominion over them. Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith, they will be changed into His likeness. {OHC 117.2}

We are in a time where we must be measured. God will measure us and we must measure ourselves against Christ. We are not to measure against each other but against Jesus. If we want to be accepted in that day, we must let patience have a work. By knowing something of what Christ is doing through these circumstances. Faith in Christ is not the work of nature but of God in human minds wrought in the very soul who reveals Christ. There needs to be a third dimension to this for us to be able to cope. That is the acceptance of the atonement of Jesus Christ which is the ground work.

They will grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. . . . Those who truly believe, who confess and forsake their sins, will grow more and more like Christ, until of them it can in heaven be said, “Ye are complete in him.” Colossians 2:10. {OHC 117.3}

Our mind is needs to be wrapped up in that Christ is the author and finisher of what I’m going through.

Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

If Christ had to suffer to become what he became, should we suffer as well? Do we expect an easier road than Christ for him to become what he became at the end of his life? Christ sufferings, is the servant greater than the Lord. Is he that sent greater than he that sent him? If we see that Jesus had to suffer, we must suffer also. The suffering that we see him suffer is nothing less than our suffering. Contradiction against himself of sinners. Contradiction of this awkward situation he was in. As he was on this planet for 33 years he suffered every day he was here. Everything around him was wrong. He came here for 33 years and suffered and we are to look to the author and finisher of our faith and look to the days of his flesh. When we look to Jesus Christ in his flesh, we will have fellowship with him.

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Paul says I want fellowship in Jesus Christ sufferings so when I suffer, I know that Jesus is in it with me because we are growing up together. This takes the pain out of the suffering, it adds sweetness to the bitter cup. The cup is bitter by Jesus. We can make life pleasant by every suffering we have and turn it into something positive. As we go through this we can become stable people in this unstable world. Everything is unstable. Jesus is calling for people who can stand and be men and women. Are you ready for the testing? When probation closes, God will be seeing who is men and women. God’s people will stand tall because God has taught them to stand tall.

Young men and women, are you growing up to the full stature of men and women in Christ, so that when the crisis comes, you cannot be separated from the Source of your strength? If we would stand during the time of test, we must now, in the time of peace, be gaining a living experience in the things of God. {OHC 356.4}

In the time of peace we are fluctuating and we need to ask God for his Holy Spirit. Lord, I need trials and count it joy when you fall into these trials because these trials is what God is using. Is Christ everything to you? Is he the whole world to you? Does his character traits make you want to be like that? When Christ was challenged no anger no fieriness he just answered thus saith the Lord. That is a man hood I see in the word of God I long for.

I have a continual longing for Christ to be formed within, the hope of glory. {OHC 247.2}

I long every day to be like to be a man. When we become men and women we stand firm and true so when the worshippers are measured, it can be said of him, you are complete in him. It’s my prayer we can understand Gods deep moving and that we can act according to Gods perfect will so we can become just like Jesus.

Amen.