Cathrine Brougam

Hi Julie, the 144,000 are not the church. We are not the first fruits.

Q42: There is a definite lack of conscientious thinking in our society towards right and wrong, good and bad. Due to electronics, media, films and to those in authority, people at large have become desensitized and no longer show discernment in what is said, done and/or is legislated. We who are in Christ Jesus have allowed the Holy Spirit to invest in our well-being and what we might have once thought was 'cool' begins to fade, replaced by a renewing of our thoughts (mind) towards higher ideals in that we can see how some of our behaviours were dirty or thoughtless or vain or greedy and so on. I am one who came to J.C. late in life so I can see my progression has gone from worldly perspective towards being a little more Christ-like and what I thought was ok then just seems plain unsavoury now. Before I would have said I was a reasonably good person, but now I see what a sinner I was and am, made less a sinner by being in Christ Jesus. I did not understand or know my ways were sinful until I started reading the Bible, about five years after I'd come to Him even though I was going to church. Now I read the Bible according to a plan almost everyday and on days I miss, I do a catch-up. This has lead to an explosion of understanding in what we are doing here and what God wants from us. I don't know all, none of us do, but His word is a goldmine of conscientious living and being one in Him. I am in Deuteronomy, Proverbs and John 1 reading a chapter of all three a day right now using an Elim Bible Reading plan. To grow, read the Bible and get yourself a reading plan. The other question why we might want to conform to the values of the world today? I am an older person, so there are some things less tempting to me than say a 20-30 or 40 year old but in all and each of us, there are temptations our flesh wants and Paul rightly says it in Rom 7:15-20 (The Spiritual Formation Bible) he does what he doesn't want to do and what he wants to do he doesn't do. We just have to persevere in Jesus in prayer and thanksgiving. Also see Corin 10:13 God said he would not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear/manage. He is faithful and will uphold you. Blessings, Cathrine.