Guigoz1
Guigoz is a kind of powdered milk manufactured in Holland and distributed widely in Burundi.
Lessons: Foreword
Greetings to you brothers and sisters. The Lord has revealed that His people have a great thirst for the knowledge of His Word. Many people give their lives to Jesus Christ, but never end up growing spiritually. As such they become an easy prey for the devil since the Bible tells us that Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) and without this sword we are unable to resist the devil.
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 5:11-14 “11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
This passage is clearly directed towards people who have been in the church for a long period of time who still need spiritual milk instead of the solid food of God’s Word. The Bible even goes one step farther in claiming that by now they should be teachers of the Word assisting others.
In 1 Corinthians 3:1-1 the Apostle Paul says 1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
We have given these teachings the name Guigoz due to the fact that we will be starting with teachings for spiritual infants and proceeding to mature believers. You will notice that the teaching begins as spiritual milk and ends up with a presentation of solid spiritual food. They consist, thus, of 24 cans of Guigoz- that is to say Guigoz 1 to 24.
It is strongly recommended that the reader follow the order of these 24 lessons presented in this curriculum in order for them to properly make sense. Guigoz Lessons 1 through 12 specifically relate to a person who has recently accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. However, all believers will find these lessons meaningful since the Word of God is always fresh. Guigoz Lessons 13 to 24 pertain to all born-again believers, however, ensure that you have familiarized yourself with lessons 1 to 12 before proceeding to 13 through 24.
We have chosen to present these lessons in dialogue form envisioning a young lady who has recently received Christ and needs to be properly discipled into a place of maturity. As such, she will be given 24 lessons that will enable her to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).
May the Holy Spirit guide, protect, and inspire you as you read these lessons.
Blessings to each of you!
Guigoz 1
Corrine: Good morning Mike, how are you?
Mike: Hey Corrine, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you
C: I’m fortunate to have found you since I’ve been looking for you for two days now!
M: Well I’m here now!
C: First off, let me tell you that it’s been two days since I was invited to an out-door meeting where my heart was touched by the message and I gave my life to Jesus Christ
M: Oh wow! Praise God. You know, you have made the best decision of your life
C: But I don’t really understand very well what it means to be born again
M: It’s exactly what you have done. It’s accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and inviting Him to come into your life and transform you
C: Transform me?
M: Yes, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ Jesus, he or she becomes a new creation, the former things are past and everything is new.
C: But I’m a Catholic as is my whole family and I have no desire to change religions
M: There is no religion that can save a person’s soul- only the blood of Jesus can cleanse your sins and purify your heart. The Bible says in Matthew 5:8 that it is the pure in heart who will see God and it’s only the blood of Jesus that can purify a person’s heart.
C: Besides the blood of Jesus what other sacrifice must be made in order for a person to be saved?
M: The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace and not by works and Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 16:24 that if anyone wants to come after Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him.
C: Please be a little bit clearer Mike, I don’t really understand why we are talking about the cross…I thought that Jesus finished up everything about the cross?
M: What I mean is that you have to renounce yourself and do what pleases the Lord. The cross is the symbol of death where all your carnal desires, your passions….must die and from this point forward you must search out the will of God for your life.
C: Oh my goodness! Do you think that’s possible?
M: You can’t do it in your own strength, but the Holy Spirit can help you to do it
C: Can you teach me to read the Bible? I don’t know where to start and it seems somewhat complicated to me.
M: Oh no Corinne! There’s nothing complicated about it. First of all, you have to understand that man can’t live by bread alone but only by every word that comes from the mouth of God as Jesus says in Matthew 4:4. If you don’t read the word of God, your spirit will die and you will be totally ignorant of the God’s commands as well as His promises. For example, when I gave my life to Jesus, I started reading the New Testament because I was really enthusiastic about the miracles that Jesus performed and especially by the promises concerning eternal life. After that I started reading the book of Genesis and continued from there.
C: I have a friend that told me that every time she reads the Bible she closes her eyes and then opens her Bible randomly to read the chapter or verse that first gets her attention
M: Corrine, I think you should know that our God is not a God of chance or random happenstance. First, when you go to Christian meetings such as a service at church, you should write down all the verses mentioned and then reread them contemplatively once you return home. Another thing, when you want to read the Bible you should say a short prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you insight because without Him you won’t be able to understand anything.
C: Could you talk to me a little bit more about the Holy Spirit?
M: First, digest the first can of Guigoz and then I will talk to you about the Holy Spirit in Guigoz lesson # 2.
Guigoz Lesson 2
C: So what exactly is the Holy Spirit?
M: The Holy Spirit is the Comforter that Jesus promised in John 14:26 that the Father would send in His name. He’s the one that will teach us all things reminding us of all that Jesus said during his time here on the earth.
C: But Mike, you talk about the Holy Spirit as if he were a real person, but I heard a message one time describing the Holy Spirit as a power and a raging wind !
M: People who say such things have either never experienced the Holy Spirit or don’t know him quite simply because the Holy Spirit is God Himself.
C: What??? Are you trying to tell me that we can talk to him and that he can hear us? I think you are going a little bit too far Mike! Unless you can show this to me in the Bible there’s no way that I can believe it.
M: If you believe that the Bible is the word of God then I can prove it to you
C: I would love to hear it!
M: Let’s read the book of Acts so that you can discover for yourself who the Holy Spirit is. First of all, I want to show you that the Holy Spirit can speak: In Acts 13:2 it says “while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit said, ‘set apart for me Banabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’”. You can also read Acts 5:3-4 and you will see that Peter considered the Holy Spirit as God himself for he accuses Ananias of lying to the Hoy Spirit in verses 3-4. He says “you have not lied just to human beings but to God”. You can also read Acts 16:6 where the Holy Spirit keeps the disciples from preaching the Word in Asia simply because he wanted them to go Macedonia instead.
C: Hmmm! Do you mean that the Holy Spirit has feelings too?
M: open your Bible to Ephesians 4:30 and you will see that the apostle Paul warned us about grieving the Holy Spirit simply because if you don’t do what he desires he becomes sad
C: Oh my God! What can we do to be pleasing to him?
M: Follow his direction
C: Do you mean that a Christian is supposed to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit?
M: No Corrine! We are not supposed to we MUST follow him because Romans 8:14 tells us that that those who are lead by the Spirit of God are the children of God. And we must seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
C: What’s the advantage of being filled with the Holy Spirit?
M: When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we exercise our spiritual calling with power and confidence
C: What has to happen for someone to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
M: We have to spend time in prayer. On the Day of Pentecost the disciples were all together in one place with a common purpose of persevering in prayer as we can see in Acts 1:14.
C: So are we filled with the Holy Spirit one time in our lives?
M: Oh no! You can read Acts 4:31 when King Herod and Pontius Pilate united together in the city of Jerusalem with the nations and the people of Israel to stop the Gospel. The apostles prayed and the place where they were meeting was shaken as they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with great boldness. Let me remind you that these are the same apostles who had been filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. So you see that we aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit just one time.
C: You know Mike I gave my life to Jesus but I don’t want to be baptized a second time like the Protestants
M: How old where you the first time you were baptized?
C: I’m not sure but my mom told me that I was around 2 years old.
M: Digest the second can of Guigoz and then we will talk about water baptism in Guigoz lesson # 3.
Guigoz 3
C: Good morning Mike! After out last conversation I bumped into a Christian who caused me to think that neither my infant baptismal service nor your adult baptismal service are valid. According to him neither of us have been properly baptized according to the biblical precedent and believe me I’ve been seriously troubled and confused about it.
M: Can you tell me what upset you the most?
C: First of all it’s that I don’t really want to be baptized a second time and secondly because he caused me to believe that such a baptism wouldn’t be valid either.
M: I think that the most important thing we can do is to search the scriptures to see exactly what Jesus said about baptism- including both how to do it and the reason behind it.
C: What exactly did Jesus say about baptism?
M: In Matthew 28:19 he said “Go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”
C: Well if that’s all that there is to it then my baptism should already be valid since the person who baptized me did it in accordance with this verse
M: Well you should also know that the Bible says in I Peter 3:21 that Baptism is the pledge of a clear conscience towards God that saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So unless I’m wrong I would say that at two years old you were incapable of making a pledge of any kind. The Bible doesn’t say anything about someone else being able to make a pledge on your behalf because salvation is an individual choice.
C: So are you saying that the baptismal waters don’t purify us?
M: Water doesn’t purify at all. Even during the time of John the Baptist we read in Matthew 3:7-9 that when John saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the river to be baptized that he told them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance and not to claim Abraham as their father. This shows us that even if they got into the waters without genuine repentance in their hearts that it would be totally meaningless.
C; Are you saying that someone can’t be a committed Christian without being baptized?
M: Corrine baptism is not a choice but a commandment of the Lord and if you refuse they are disobeying him. And baptism should be done exactly as Jesus instructed us, by that I mean total immersion in keeping with the Lord’s example. We need to follow him in all his ways.
C: Alright, but until this point in our conversation you haven’t explained to me where the confusion comes from regarding being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and being baptized just in the name of Jesus?
M: The confusion stems from the time following Jesus’ departure. The apostles preached a different baptism from the one that John the Baptist had already implemented. People didn’t understand why it was necessary to be baptized for a second time and that’ why often when the apostles met groups of new believers they would ask: “with what baptism have you been baptized?” This is the reason the apostles spoke of the baptism of Jesus so that people would understand the difference between Jesus’ baptism and John’s.
C: So if I’m understanding you, it’s the person baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by the means of total immersion who has really obeyed the command of the Jesus?
M: Exactly! Unless of course your Bible says something different in Matthew 28:19
C: Well if that’s the case then I need to obey the command of the Lord, but before you leave I have another question concerning the message preached at church on Sunday. They mentioned that a Christian is a new creature, but I would like to understand exactly what they mean by a “New Creature”.
M: Of course I will explain it to you in Guigoz #4.
Guigoz 4
C: Mike, I don’t understand why the Bible uses the word “a new creation” when it seems to me that we remain the same creation?
M: First of all when I’m talking of a new creature it is a spiritual reference found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”
C: You mean that we must be transformed??? Please be a little more clear…
M: In Romans 12:2 the apostle Paul advises Christians not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we will be able to discern what God’s will is- his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
C: What relationship is there between transformation and being able to discern God’s will?
M: Read the verse carefully, transformation is the fruit of having a renewed mind and that is the key!
C: So you want us to talk about the renewing of the mind and not transformation?
M: No Corrine! If your mind is renewed then your spirit will automatically be transformed and from that point forward you will be able to grasp the Holy Spirit’s voice so that you will be able to discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect
C: What prevents our minds from being renewed?
M: Once again I want to look at Romans 12:2 so that you can see how Paul starts that verse. He says: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world”. A Christian who has been born again must not conform to the pattern of our world. Rather, Christians need to be conformed to the Word of God so that their minds can be renewed which enables the Spirit to transform them and discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
C: What exactly do you mean by “being conformed to the present world” and how are we transformed?
M: Transformation is not governed, once saved we leave one system to enter into another system, where everything changes: our language, thoughts, plans, company…you are no longer in control but are lead by the Holy Spirit, what I mean is that you no longer do what seems best to you but you conform to the will of God. To be conformed to the pattern of this world means to move to the rhythm of this world… It’s like a person who is dancing by following a certain musical rhythm.
C: Do you mean being fashionable?
M: In a certain way yes. This is why Jesus called Satan the prince of this world in John 14:30. Some Christians follow the rhythm of the prince of this world who is Satan without even realizing it.
C: So is it wrong when I wear mini-skirts? Is it really a sin to wear mini-skirts as some people claim?
M: The Bible doesn’t give guidelines for skirts, in fact they didn’t exist when it was written but what the Paul means in Romans 12:2 is that Christians shouldn’t be influenced by the world but rather Christians should influence the world. What I would like to point out is that a child of God should behave as well as dress as a child of God in order to give glory to God. They shouldn’t be a stumbling block for another brother and that’s why Paul said in Romans 14:13 that we shouldn’t do anything that would place a stumbling block or an obstacle in our brother’s way. And don’t forget that Jesus said that we are the light of the world.
C: So does that mean that we should take into consideration what other think about us?
M: Corrine the bible instructs us to be considerate of others through God’s love, but we shouldn’t become slaves to others. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”. Similarly the apostle Peter tells us the same thing in 1 Peter 2:12 instructing us to live such good lives among the pagans that they may see your good deeds and glorify God.
C: Mike, at some point when you were talking to me about transformation you mentioned the need to change company… could you please elaborate about that more?
M: Yes in Guigoz #5
Guigoz #5
C: Mike none of the people I hang out with are saved and we would go clubbing but since I gave my heart to Jesus we don’t go out together anymore however we are still very close. I haven’t been able to convert them but I feel that I can’t leave them because of how much I love them.
M: First of all, I need to tell you that you are incapable of converting them because that is the work of the Holy Spirit but do you know what you can do? You can share the Gospel with them and most importantly you can pray for them.
C: But Mike you didn’t answer my question. I asked you if I need to leave them or not.
M: Well, first of all you need to learn what the Bible says about bad company. In I Corinthians 15:33 it is written that evil company corrupts good character. So it’s very important to select your friends wisely and to avoid bad company for fear of being corrupted. Also please open your Bible and read Psalms 1:1-2.
C: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night”
M: As you can see, what isn’t good is listed here: walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, and sitting in the company of mockers. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have friends who aren’t believers, however, you need to be alert that you aren’t walking in their counsel, their behavior, their actions but rather that they are seeing the glory of God in you. If you find that their company is pulling you away from the Word of God or that they are pressuring you do things that don’t please the Lord then you need to cut off the relationship. Matthew 5:29 tells us that if your right eye is leading you into sin then you should gouge it out and throw it away, because it is better for you to loose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
C: I am know a young man who is 17 years old. He recently got saved but has a serious problem with his problem with his father who is extremely hostile to the Gospel. The father doesn’t want to see the young man with his bible, nor can he stand hearing the young man pray; it’s almost as if he has lost a son because to the father the son is dead. This young man shared with me recently in his desperation and I didn’t know how to help him. What advice can I share with him?
M: Tell him that Jesus says in Matthew 10:34-36 that he didn’t come to bring peace to the earth but a sword. And that a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. You can also encourage him by showing him the passage in 1 Peter 2:19 that it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. Encourage him above all to persevere, to pray for his father, not to hate him, and to overcome evil with good according to Romans 12:21.
Guigoz 6
C: Mike, I have a boyfriend and we really like each other but he doesn’t want to convert and I need to know if I need to walk away from him or not?
M: I don’t know what you mean by walk away from him
C: Well…. I mean break up our romantic relationship
M: Corrine, as I mentioned to you the other day if anyone is in Christ he or she is a new creation. Old things have passed away and all things have become new. So now that you are a new creature you need to avoid any relationship that will pull you away from the Word of God.
C: But I really love him a lot you know?
M: I didn’t say you are supposed to hate him but to pray for him that he can accept Jesus despite his resistance however you need to remember that salvation is on an individual level. It’s the same for judgment.
C: I would like to continue being friends with him but every time I’m around him I’m tempted to go back into sin.
M: The Bible doesn’t tell us to resist immorality but to flee from it. You can read in I Corinthians 6:18 “Flee sexual immorality, all other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually sins against their own body. You see then that Paul tells us to flee- that means to completely avoid all contact as long as you sense danger.
C: Is this true for everyone?
M: You know that in the body of Christ there are some people who are stronger and some who are weaker than others as we see in Romans 15:1. Some people have a stronger faith than others, but the best decision is to separate oneself from anyone that might lead you into sin
C: So are you telling me that I can’t marry a man who isn’t born again?
M: No way! The Bible is absolutely against such a decision. If you read in 2 Corinthians 6:14 you will find that there is no fellowship between light and darkness. The Bible also tells us in Genesis 2:24 that a man and a woman become one flesh which is a possible foothold for the devil because a married couple is supposed to fight against him together
C: Well what about if couple are not believers and the wife accepts the Lord while the husband remains unsaved?
M: The Bible has a clear explanation for that found in 1 Peter 3:1-2 where the believing wife can win her unbelieving husband over without words when he sees the purity and reverence of his wife’s life.
C: Is divorce permitted among Christians?
M: No you can read in Matthew 19:9 where the Bible doesn’t allow a man to divorce his wife and marry someone else except in the case of infidelity
C: Wow that’s really harsh
M: If you analyze it from a human perspective it does seems pretty harsh but if you leave the matter in God’s hands you will discover that it’s really a blessing. Once again I remind you that prayer is the key.
C: You talk so much about prayer. Is there some kind of a formula for prayer or do we have to learn how to pray?
M: Oh yes! You’ll find it in Guigoz 7.
Guigoz #7
C: Mike you told me that we can learn to pray but there are some Christians who say the exact opposite.
M: You can open your Bible and read in Luke 11:1-4 where you’ll see that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray as John taught his disciples. Jesus showed them how to pray
C: Oh yes! But I already know the “Lord’s Prayer” by heart and I recite it every morning
M: How long does it take you to recite it?
C: I think just one minute
M: Corrine, I would like you to understand that we are created in the image of God. When we pray our spirit is in communion with the Spirit of God. The heart of God longs for our prayers- just as you love to spend the most amount of time with the people closest to you so God loves to spend time with you in prayer.
C: How many minutes do I have to pray in order to satisfy God?
M: All that I know is that we should spend lots of time in His Presence. The quality of prayer counts more than the amount of time we pray. The important thing is to be in His Presence. If you read Matthew 26:40 you will see that Jesus wanted to spend time in prayer with His disciples. When he realized that they were sound asleep, he was astonished and said to Peter: “Couldn’t you watch with me for one hour?”
C: But how could someone ever spend an hour in prayer just reciting the Lord’s Prayer?
M: Well, you need to understand that the “Lord’s Prayer” is just an outline that Jesus used to show his disciples how to pray and that each line has deeper meaning behind it. For example, you notice that Jesus started by saying: “When you pray say: Father hallowed by your name”
C: Why did he start by saying that?
M: The Lord inhabits the praises of his people according to Psalms 22:4 and the Bible says in Psalms 100:4 that we must enter the courts of the Lord with praise and his gates with thanksgiving. We need to start our prayer time by praising the Lord and in glorifying his name. The Bible shows us in several passages that there is great power in praising God.
C: Can you give me an example in the Bible where God manifested His power because of praise?
M: Look up Acts 16:23-26 in the Bible where Paul and Silas are imprisoned for the Word of God. They are bound up by chains with a jailer and all the gates of the prison are tightly shut. Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to the Lord while all the other prisoners were listening. The Bible says that suddenly there was a great earth-quake and the prison foundation was shaken as the doors flew open and the chains of all the prisoners came loose. Do you see how this power was manifested as the result of the praises of Paul and Silas?
C: And what do the chains signify that tied them up?
M: The chains and the foundations of the prison represent the power of the devil but as we praise the Lord no matter what is happening He will release power to open even the prison doors that were shut.
C: When should we fast?
M: As I told you the other day, every child of God needs to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Some people fast to get alone and spend time in prayer and other fast because they are in a situation where they feel blocked by the power of Satan.
C: I’ve always thought that every demon has to flee when we call on the name of Jesus?
M: You are absolutely right but not all demons operate in the same manner nor have the same strength. That is why one day the disciples weren’t able to drive out a demon and Jesus had to explain to them that this particular demon wouldn’t come out except by prayer and fasting. You can find this verse in Matthew 17:21
C: Why aren’t some prayers answered?
M: You will find out in Guigoz #8
Guigoz #8
C: Good morning Mike, I still want to know why some of my prayers aren’t answered since I read Matthew 21:22 where it says that if you believe you will receive whatever you ask in prayer. I’ve been using my faith praying in the name of Jesus without seeing answered prayer. I would like to know why please.
M: You know Corrrine, there are some prayer that aren’t answered simply because of the carnal desires of the flesh. This why James 4:3 says: “When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”. Often we find ourselves in a situation where we want God to accomplish our desires
C: But I thought that this is exactly what Jesus said in John 14:13 “and I will give you whatever you ask in my name”? I really don’t understand this at all.
M: Could you open your Bible and read 1 John 5:14-15?
C: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. And if we know that He hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we have asked of him”.
M: I would like you to analyze these two verses carefully because the key to it all is here. In order for God to hear us the prayer must be made according to His will and not ours. Are you still with me?
C: Completely
M: If we know that God hears us then we shouldn’t just hope that we will have what we have asked but the Bible says that we already have it.
C: So if I’m understanding you properly, this means that God already has a plan for us concerning our needs?
M: Exactly
C: If that’s the case then why do we need to pray? If he has already planned everything then we should just let him do all the work!
M: The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 that we are His handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do the works which God prepared in advance for us to do. This is what we call the plan of God. God has a plan and a purpose for us- it’s a plan to prosper us according to Jeremiah 29:11
C: So why does God allow these desires that are contrary to His plan to remain in our hearts?
M: Primarily because you are not yet completely crucified with Christ. Paul says in Galatians 2:10 that he has been crucified with Christ and that it is no longer he who lives but Christ who lives in him. A child of God must learn to do what pleases God and to bury the desires of the flesh.
C: Mike I don’t see how I can pray for something without first having the desire in my heart. I simply wouldn’t have the courage to wait.
M: You will never have the desire that is in agreement with the will of God unless your mind is renewed. Remember that Paul says in Romans 12:2 that your mind needs to be renewed so that you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is.
C: What needs to happen to reach that place?
M: Pray that the Holy Spirit renews your mind and places in your heart the desires that are in agreement with the will of God
C: Is it a sin to pray for something that isn’t in agreement with God’s will if we are unsure of His will?
M: Not at all, the important thing is to be ready to accept the will of God because He knows better than you what is good, pleasing, and perfect for you!
C: But Mike, would God allow something to happen that really isn’t his perfect will?
M: Yes, sometimes that happens especially when we desperately desire the thing requested. In such instances, we can expect that there will be consequences connected to it.
C: Could you give me an example in the Bible?
M: In the perfect plan of God there was no provision for a King to be established for the nation of Israel but because His people continued to insist God finally relented and gave them a King along with a warning of the consequences that would soon follow. You can read 1 Samuel 8.
C: And how much time should it take to receive an answer in prayer?
M: You will get your answer in Guigoz #9
Guigoz #9
C: Good morning Mike. My older sister is 32 years old and has just finished her studies and started working. She believe God gave her a promise four years ago that she would travel to America and there she would meet the man that she is to marry. The years have come and gone without a single door opening and she is becoming quite discouraged as her faith weakens. What do you think about this?
M: I think its simply because she hasn’t understood the concept of the Timing of God. God is never late nor is He ever early. It is written in Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God makes all things beautiful in His time”. The problem often is that we want to force God to act in accordance with our timetable while He is working on a whole different timetable.
C: Is it possible that she could loose her blessing even though it is the plan of God?
M: Yes she could loose her blessing and often this happens when we have a promise from God and want to force it to happen.
C: How could she force it to happen?
M: She could try to get to America by all possible means including using false papers to try and get a visa
C: Would God allow her to travel if she used this method?
M: If she persists it is possible that she could travel but remember that this would be ahead of the timetable of God and because of this method of trickery she would have to face the consequences as was the case with the people of Israel that insisted in having a king. She could even make it there but without the blessing of God because as I’ve already said God doesn’t act according to our timetable, but rather He makes all things beautiful in His time. And believe me when God’s time frame arrives God will make things happen! He will send his angels and the doors will open without any difficulty. The great challenge rests on the level of patience and perseverance in prayer, but when it’s God’s time it’s like someone pressed the light switch and the light came on all by itself.
C: Tell me before I leave what you think of people who say that Satan has the power to block the blessings of God?
M: I would say simply that they have totally ignored the power of God and really don’t have any idea of just how powerful the weapons are that we fight with. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that the weapons of our warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. And also that if we resist the devil he will flee from us according to James 4:7. May God bless you and let’s meet in Guigoz 10.
Guigoz #10
C: Mike, let’s go back and talk a little about the situation with my older sister. I have understood that God makes all good things happen in His perfect timing, but if He can bless me in America surely He can give me the same blessings in Europe or in Burundi since the world belongs to him and I certainly don’t see why we should limit Him to a specific place.
M: Just as you have learned that He makes all good things happen in His perfect timing, you need to also understand that He acts in the same way in His place. We need to seek to be where God wants us to be in order to accomplish the works that He has already finished since the creation of the world Heb 4:3.
C: Try to show me this biblically since it’s very important for me.
M: Of course, open your bible to 1 Kings 17: 1-16. First of all, we see that the Lord commanded Elijah to leave the place where he was and to head east towards the brook Kerith east of the Jordan. In that period of time there was a drought in the land, but the Lord reassured Elijah that he would drink from the brook and that he had commanded the ravens to feed him THERE. Are you with me so far?
C: Yes, I see clearly that God was very precise concerning the place but I don’t understand what the crows represent
M: The crows represent the angels God has commanded to bring us blessings
C: Why do you keep emphasizing the verb command?
M: Because I want you to understand that the angels don’t come your way because they choose you but because simply because they have been commanded to do so. When I speak of angels, I mean everything that God can use to bless you- that can be spiritual angels as well as human beings such as a friend, member of your family, or even someone that you have never met before
C: It’s impressive to see how the crows delivered bread and meat to Elijah both morning and evening while he was able to drink from the brook, but why in verse 7 does it say some time later the brook dried up? It’s like God stopped the flow of His blessings even though Elijah was still in the place where God wanted him to be?
M: The brook dried up because the time frame for being in Kerith had reached it’s fullness and God wanted him to change locations
C: So the place of God is connected to the timing of God
M: Exactly and you must be where God wants you to be in His timing. If Elijah hadn’t obeyed the Word of the Lord by seeking to stay in Kerith not only would he not have had any water because the brook dried up but he would have died of hunger because there weren’t any more crows brining him food to eat. That’s what happens to us often
C: So in order to survive, Elijah had to move himself away from Kerith?
M: No, the solution wasn’t found in leaving Kerith but in going where God wanted him to be!
C: Zarephath?
M: Exactly and read in verse 9 where the Lord tells him that he has commanded a certain widow in that place to supply him with food. In verse 10 you will see that the widow woman didn’t know Elijah, but God had already commanded it. Are you understanding what I’m telling you?
C: Not really.
M: I’m trying to get you to understand that the woman who fed Elijah didn’t know him personally and yet she had been commanded by the Lord to feed His servant. By commanding her, God had placed in her heart the command to feed His servant even if she didn’t understand that she was under the command of the Lord. She thought she was helping Elijah as certain people in your life may think they are helping you out of their own volition when in reality they are commanded by the Lord. You need to understand that if someone is commanded by the Lord to do something for you, that person must do it whether they want to or not, whether they know it or not, and God may have to bless them so that they can accomplish His command.
In verse 12 the woman told Elijah that all she had remaining was a handful of flour and a little oil in a jug for her and her son and afterwards they were going to die, but despite this situation she was unable to turn Elijah away simply because she had been commanded by the Lord and that had to happen in a Zarephath and not anywhere else.. It’s up to you then to pray and find out where your Zarephath is located- I mean we need to know where God wants you to be in His timing.
C: Oh my! That’s really impressive. I have another question about the faith and works
M: Come back for Guigoz 11
Guigoz 11
C: Mike I am a little confused because there is someone who told me that if I don’t work for the Lord that my faith has no value while I thought that I am saved by grace and faith in Jesus.
M: You are absolutely right. We are saved by grace and faith in Jesus but the Bible does tell us in James 2:26 that as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without deeds is dead.
C: If I understand, this kind of faith is useless and no longer has life?
M: If the Bible uses the verb “to die” then yes, you are right. A dead faith decomposes every day just as a dead body does. In fact, this whole concept is summarized in the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13;6-9. Read this passage carefully and tell me what you think.
C: I think that the man who planted the fig tree in his vineyard represents God. The fig tree is symbolic of a Christian because we are supposed to bear fruit. The man who took care of the tree represents Jesus because He is our intercessor pleading on our behalf. What I don’t understand is what the fertilizer represents?
M: The fertilizer represents the Word of God. As you can see in verse 7, the owner was angry and commanded that the fig tree be cut down demanding: “why should it use up the soil?”
C: What does “use up the soil” mean? And why did the tree deserve to be cut down?
M: A tree that uses up the soil is a tree that benefits from the rich ground it’s roots are planted by bearing green leaves so that it appears to be alive. The owner of the vine had done everything possible for the fig tree so that it would be well nourished but after a long period of time there was still no fruit, so the tree deserved to be cut down so that other trees could grow in that place that would bear fruit.
C: If that’s the case, then why does God tolerate some Christians that bear no fruit in their lives and are ineffective for Him?
M: Because the caretaker of the vineyard is Jesus who always lives to make intercession on our behalf as you can see in verse 8, however if he remains sterile despite the season of grace extended towards him, he will eventually be cut off as you can read in verse 9.
C: So if we were to speak without using parabolic language, what is the danger of being a Christian without fruit while still being alive?
M: A curse. We live under a curse and that’s why Jesus cursed the fig tree when he found lots of leaves but no fruit in Matthew 21:18-19 when he was hungry…Corrine, you need to understand that God is hungry for fruit in our lives and it’s His right to claim them. Faith without works is dead.
Guigoz 12
C: Good morning Mike, I’m waiting impatiently for you to explain to me how the rapture will take place?
M: First of all you need to understand that the Lord must return to take His church and that there will be signs of His coming and of the end of the world. Another important thing to understand is that the Lord will come like a thief in the night as He himself said in Matthew 24:42-44. This is why we must be ready at all times because He could return at any moment and almost all the signs have already materialized.
C: One day I saw an evangelist who had a very strong anointing- he was healing many sick people in the name of Jesus and doing many other miracles, however, I had the impression that his message about the rapture, baptism, and certain other points were different than what you have taught me. However, I’m sure that he must have come from God otherwise how could he have done all those miracles unless the Lord was with him?
M: That’s one of the signs that Jesus talked about. He said in Matthew 24:24 that there will come false christs and false prophets who will do great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect if that were possible. So you see that we must never be impressed just by miraculous healings or other wonders because this is one of the signs prove that Jesus’ return is near.
C: Hmmm…. I can see that this is really serious. How can we know if such a person is really a servant of the Lord or not?
M: You will know through the person’s teachings as you search out the Scriptures- and this with the help of the Holy Spirit. For this reason we need to be equipped with the Word of God and walk closely with the Spirit.
C: So can we talk about the rapture and how that will come to pass?
M: The Bible says in I Thessalonians 4:15-18 that the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with the Lord forever.
C: Why do you speak of those who will rise first? How many resurrections will there be?
M: There will be two resurrections. The Bible says in Revelation 20:5-6 blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection because they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. However, those who experience the second resurrection will rise after the 1000 years in order be judged according to Revelation 20:12.
C: Will the 1000 year reign be in heaven or on the earth? And how will Jesus reign before the judgment of Satan?
M: Jesus and the saints will reign during the thousand years on the earth and during this time Satan will be bound according to Revelation 20:2
C: Let’s go back a little bit to the rapture. What will happen on the earth when Jesus takes his church in the sky? How will long will this period of time last?
M: The bible speaks of 7 years. The beast or anti-christ will have power to act for 42 months according to revelation 13:5-7 which is 3 ½ years. The Bible says that he will trample the holy city and that God will give two witnesses the power to prophesy for 1,260 days or 42 months (3 ½ years) according to Revelation 11: 2-3. So all told we are talking about 7 years after which the Lord will return with his saints to reign for 1000 years followed by the final judgment.
C: How will the final judgment take place?
M: Each person will be judged according to his works on the earth and there will be a book called the book of life and anyone whose name is not found in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire according to Revelation 20:15. So everything that we do here on earth is recorded in heaven.
C: And what about those people who say that we will live on this earth forever?
M: I think that they say such things out of ignorance because the Bible talks about a new heaven and a new earth. You can read in Revelation 21:1 where the Bible says that “the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea”. In 2 Peter 3:10-12 we read clearly that the heavens will disappear with a roar and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. The prophet of God prophesied in Isaiah 65:17 that God will create a new heavens and a new earth and that we won’t remember the former things.
C: Thank you so much Mike for your teaching. Can you give me one final verse?
M: James 1:22. It says: “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
C: See you later and God bless you!
M: May He bless you and make sure that you share with others what you have learned and persevere in prayer because it’s so vital!
You have completed the first 12 teachings Guigoz and on the following page you will find the beginning of Guigoz 13-24.
The first 12 teachings are specifically recommended for new believers as well as Christians in general
It is highly recommended that you read first 12 teachings before moving onto the next set of teachings which is 13-24.
