Our life is a continuous travel. We have only two directions where we can go—one is to heaven and the other is to hell. Sister White was shown two companies, traveling in opposite directions. One company was traveling in a train and seemed to have the whole world in it. The other company was small, with only a few people in it.

“I saw the rapidity with which this delusion was spreading. A train of cars was shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed that the whole world was on board, that there could not be one left. Said the angel, ‘They are binding in bundles ready to burn.’ Then he showed me the conductor, who appeared like a stately, fair person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced. I was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it was. He said, ‘It is Satan. He is the conductor in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the whole world captive. They are given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie, that they may be damned. This agent, the next highest in order to him, is the engineer, and other of his agents are employed in different offices as he may need them, and they are all going with lightning speed to perdition.’

“I asked the angel if there were none left. He bade me look in an opposite direction, and I saw a little company traveling a narrow pathway.” –Early Writings, p. 88

“When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest, and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 135

God has called us to be His messengers in these last days. And the most important message today is revival and reformation. To avoid the danger of ending up in Satan’s train we must overcome every sin.

“While living in neglect of a known duty, he would not be secure; for he could not be shielded by the angels of God.

“In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 256

In the beginning, God set man in the right direction, but soon after Adam and Eve decided to change their direction to go in the opposite way. And today, almost the whole world is going in Satan’s train towards hell. Our message to them is, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than  your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:7–9

Jesus came from heaven to save the Jewish people, but He found that they were blind. “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14

Soon we come to the point when there is no more turning back. “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 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. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:10–12

Soon the train of Satan will not stop any more to let someone out to change his direction. Everyone will continue his direction through the seven last plagues.

My friend, is it your desire to go to heaven, to have eternal life? Then there is only one way—follow the plan of God. The plan of God includes the sealing, shaking, latter rain, the time of trouble, and heaven.

Soon after creation, God told man of the two ways that he can follow—the way of obedience, and the way of disobedience. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16–17

Satan was in heaven, the highest of all the angels, but he was not satisfied with his position. He wanted to be like God. He started a rebellion in heaven against Christ and God the Father. But he did not prevail, and he was cast out of heaven to this world. In this world he continued his rebellion, and the whole world followed him except one family—the family of Noah.

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.” Genesis 6:5–7

And now today again, almost the whole world is following Satan, and God has only a few serving Him. Great numbers of young people who have known the way of God have said, “Not now, later we will give ourselves to You, and follow Thy way.” This “later” may never come.

When we know what God requires and have a knowledge of the truth, but delay our obedience to a later time, it is because we do not love God. It is blindness to disobey Him who is out to save and to rescue us.

Moses tried for 40 years to save the Israelite people, and finally he called them all together to make one more appeal to them to obey God. “O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” Deuteronomy 32:29

How many of over 600,000 men who left Egypt accepted the counsel of Moses and remained faithful to God? Only two—Joshua and Caleb.

Is it your determination to stay with the Lord? Is it your desire to become Christlike, so kind and loving, so gentle and so forgiving? God has promised to help you.  He sent the Holy Spirit, His Son, the angels. He give us the Bible, and encouraged regular attendance at church meetings. When we turn to God and obey Him, then a marvelous change will take place. We will change from the selfish image of Satan to the lovely image of Christ. Then we can love even our enemies, we will be forgiving, and have compassion and pity on others; our hands will do good, our feet will take us where God is. God’s plan for us is a perfect plan, it includes character development, sanctification, missionary work, preparing for heaven, and finally, eternal life. The only thing that can destroy the plan of God is our will. If we insist that our will be done, then the will of God cannot be fulfilled. But if our will is blended with the will of God, then we are ready to work for the Lord. The work of reformation must be carried to completion, and only men and women who are filled with the spirit and power of God will be able to carry forward this work.

When you kneel to pray, ask for the Spirit and the power of God, and then the work of reformation in your life will not die out, but you will go forward into victory.

Let no one of us be an Achan, who took the power of God away from the whole of Israel. “Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” Joshua 7:11–12, 20–21

Every action you perform brings you closer to Jesus or one step further away from Him. Even every thought that goes on in your mind brings you closer to Jesus or further away from Him.

If you are faithful to God, then with confidence and authority you will tell others, “this is the way of God, this is the way of peace and happiness, this way leads to a home in heaven.” And your face shining peace and happiness, you look beyond the present to the end, to the wonderful reward of the righteous. Amen.

Timo Martin