Written For Our Learning Wofbec January 2025 by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Written for our learning

This was not my intended message. The burden of the Spirit came upon me so strongly, and I believe it will be a tremendous blessing to the body of Christ

Romans 15:4

Things were written in time past because a generation would come in the future that would need to learn from them

We can always learn from history

This message is meant to position us to step into the prophetic season God has brought upon the body of Christ

The subject of flight and the weather

Many factors make an aircraft lift: the mechanics of the aircraft, the airport staff, the pilot and the crew

But one factor sustains the power to hinder the take off, the continuity and even the arrival of any aircraft: the weather condition

The same limitation applies to any movement, by land, by sea or by air

The weather condition can veto the preparedness of the aircraft

No matter how prepared the pilot is, no matter how skilled the crew, even with a brand new aircraft, it all depends on the weather

The first effect of bad weather is reduced visibility. Pilots are prohibited from taking off because they cannot see far enough

Bad weather leads to delay of flights, cancellation of flights and, at extreme levels, a plane crash. It does not matter the kind of dignitary that wants to travel

Mark 4:35-39

Every time I read this I am amazed, because it is Jesus and His team. You would think the weather would spare Him

The proposition was for motion, advancement, progress. The storm was not the initial plan. Somewhere along the line it arose

Their cry was that this was not a making of ourselves, but an extreme weather condition that can impede our movement

Jesus responds to the weather by rebuking it

Even the eagle, as bold and strong as it is, can navigate harsh weather. But there is a level of harshness at which it will retreat and stay put for its own safety

If the weather condition is not conducive, if the wind and tides do not support it, air traffic control will stop the flight for as long as the weather is not clear

I was once kept at the airport for over 9 hours. Someone collected our plane and left. People were shouting and angry.

I sat quietly and said, Lord, I am grateful for being alive, let this just take me home

Many believers are like planes waiting at the tarmac

Many believers and high flyers are like planes waiting at the tarmac for clearance to fly, or like the eagle waiting for extreme stormy weather to subside

The current church climate is not good weather for flights

If not checked, it will become a stormy weather that may ground many destinies and stop many eagles from soaring

The different expressions of the church

It will be good news at the end. Revelation already ends by telling us there is a New Jerusalem Revelation 21

The church across the nations, particularly in Nigeria, can be classified into groups according to their core emphasis:

• Deliverance and demons
• Success and destiny fulfillment
• Prayer and intimacy with the Holy Spirit
• Word of faith, with advocacy for the priority and supremacy of the word
• The prophetic
• Discipleship and mentorship
• The apostolic, usually with teachings and then signs and wonders
• The message of grace. Great men like Apostle Grace Lubega are a core area here, and others like Joseph Prince
• Missions. I come from a core Orthodox background where almost every Sunday we prayed for missions
• The core Orthodox expression

I only mention names when I am speaking well of honorable people serving the grace of God

6 points to note about these expressions

1. Every one of them truly believes that Jesus is the Son of God, in my opinion and experience
2. Every one has scriptural backing that supports its operation
3. Every one has sufficient evidence and testimonies to support and advocate its continuity. The deliverance minister shows before and after.

   The one granted access to teach on success shows how the influence of the kingdom contributes to God's program.

   The one on prayer shows how a weak, flesh-driven believer moulted like a snake into a more superior version, a powerful prophet, a powerful apostle

4. Every one has significant followership to defend its core emphasis, whether deliverance, grace or word of faith
5. Every one believes it has the most superior and refined understanding of the Christian life as God intended.

   The evangelistic will tell you they are at the epicenter of the will of God because of missions, and what can be greater than souls?

   The one given grace for prayer will tell you even Jesus said to pray for the Lord of the harvest

6. Every one has systems and structures to guarantee longevity. They have put these in place by wisdom, administration, results and conviction, so they will be here for a very long time

3 dangers God must help us correct

There are many prophets and apostles in the making, and great ministries, waiting at the tarmac of destiny for a long time because the weather is not conducive for their flight

1. A growing hatred among Christians, including ministers

   It is based on spiritual affiliations, differences in convictions and viewpoints

   It started as a subtle drive but it is now gaining confidence and visibility

   It is sad that someone can see a wristband belonging to another ministry and the person becomes an enemy without knowing anything about him

   This is a subtle divide and rule system that hell is presenting to the church. If we fall for that trap we will not fly

   Family members cannot see eye to eye. Couples have had harsh disagreements on grounds of convictions. Who is for Paul and who is for Apollos 1 Corinthians 1:12

2. A gross confusion across the body of Christ as to who is correct and which viewpoint is more superior

   Especially among new believers there is so much instability in convictions

   The internet has granted access and everybody's view can be presented, so the average believer is almost distorted in his stability

   If that weather remains stormy and hazy, some flights will not leave

   The confusion is a sincere one. It is an attempt to walk in accuracy and not be beguiled. The average believer who loves God does not want to camp around error and defeat

   Every aspect of the Christian faith is being tested and probed, from nation to nation and preacher to preacher

   Including the very pillars: salvation, the Triune nature of God, repentance, what it takes to be born again

   Concepts once taken for granted have come under scrutiny. New ideas are being introduced. Some are liberating and some are very disturbing

   God has given grace to be articulate, so whoever you listen to comes with compelling evidence and power. We stand the risk of losing a whole generation to error and confusion

3. God's end time program stands the risk of being threatened

   God's program of world evangelization, of discipleship and transformation, of societal transformation is being threatened right now

The things written aforetime teach us this has happened before. In church history these dangers were left carelessly, and Satan took advantage and aborted many prophetic moves of God, many awakenings and revivals

My humble submission

I have shown the various expressions and 3 dangers: growing hatred, consequent confusion, and God's program being tampered with. Here is my humble submission, in love and righteousness

1. Practice and advocate your convictions responsibly, showing honor and regard to other believers

   Every believer is free to practice and advocate their beliefs and spiritual convictions. Jesus and the laws of the land give us liberty of expression

   Derogatory and inciting statements against individuals and churches must be minimized, if not completely avoided

   If this is not dealt with, one day believers will stand on the road and fight themselves until government is forced to interfere

   I personally don't have a problem with whatever dimension anybody practices, but it must be practiced responsibly, giving honor to other dimensions too

   I cannot hate and antagonize you just because you do not hold my emphasis as your emphasis

   Some pray for 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours. To others fasting is useless. Others do not believe investing so much in the word is profitable.

   Others know the place of the word Matthew 4:4

   The Bible calls doctrines winds Ephesians 4:14. The cloud is not conducive for flight.

   Many champions and giants have been marking time at the tarmac, wanting to fly based on prophecy, but interrupted by all these things

   I have friends we don't agree with in everything. It is too small a reason to mete out hatred.

   There are people who love me but have reservations over certain principles and practices of mine

   When the weather is bad all planes stay down, whether KLM or British Airways. Nobody has a unique privilege of flying under bad weather.

   If the problem is the runway, smaller planes can leverage that and fly, but a weather problem affects all planes and all eagles

   Nigeria has such a unique apostolic grace that whatever is birthed here spreads to the world like wildfire.

   Let us beware lest we lose the opportunity to reflect Christ with all grace and honor

2. These church expressions will not diminish

   Not in influence and not in strength of convictions. Everything men fought, regardless of how they fought it, did not die

   As a student of scripture and history, I submit these expressions will still be here for a very long time.

   Many in these circles will switch convictions but many will maintain their stand, and that must be respected

   Fighting, wishing and advocating the degeneration or downfall of any church expression, secretly or openly, will prove a waste of time. I tell you in advance, prophetically

   The disciples asked Jesus for permission to command fire on those doing miracles in another camp. and Jesus answered them Luke 9:54-55

   On the surface you would think Jesus was talking about poverty Matthew 26:11. There is a prophetic meaning to it. Why would Jesus make such a statement?

   The time spent wishing for the downfall of other expressions can be invested in intercession. If a brother or ministry has not seen correctly, shouting your annoyance will not change it. Deploy intercession

   The first response of a believer is to pray without ceasing Colossians 1:9

3. Let us give truth room to vindicate itself

   Truth was buried in the grave and came back to life on its own, unassisted. The character of truth is that it has a system of self-defense

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   Apostle Joshua Selman

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   2 Corinthians 13:8

   If worship is the truth it will not die. If praying in tongues, discipleship or prayer is the truth, it will not die

   1 Corinthians 3:10-13

   The Bible acknowledges that the building will not be of the same material. It recognizes all of it as an attempt to build.

   There is already a system in the wisdom of God to vet what is true

   There is already a system in the economy of God to frustrate everything that frustrates God's program

   God would not design a system with so many loopholes. Jesus said He will build His church Matthew 16:18. The church is not as weak as we make it look.

   It is a product of God's intelligence. Let us respect the intelligence and investment that went into it

   Someone saw the Ark of God about to fall and, attempting to help, died 2 Samuel 6:6-7

   I listened to Apostle Grace Lubega share how persecutions came on account of the grace message he has communicated. You cannot fight what is of God. It will stand

   The word of faith has been fought. Missions have been fought. When the apostles were kept in prison, an angel brought them out Acts 5

   Learn from the wisdom of a strange man called Gamaliel Acts 5:34-39

   The weather across the body of Christ is becoming clear, clear for prophecy to speak in your life, clear for you to rise

   They wanted to kill the apostles because they were advocating something they were not comfortable with. Gamaliel said, consider carefully what you intend to do

   Gamaliel may not believe these apostles, but he is a doctor of the law with experience. Let us learn from history

   Illustration 1: Theudas

   About 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and it came to nothing

   You don't have to be real to be followed. Any thought line with persuasion, confidence and a system of defense will attract some followership

   Illustration 2: Judas the Galilean

   He led a band in revolt in the days of the census. He too was killed and his followers scattered

   Gamaliel's counsel from history is for the present case too Acts 5:38-39

   Preachers must simply present the truths they know and believe and allow them to be tested against the truth.

   If God has granted you the healing ministry, present the Jesus that heals and let Him defend

   Developing personal hatred because of differences will only lead us to confusion

4. Within the boundary of loyalty and willful submission, preachers owe it to protect the people committed to them against unnecessary distractions

   Acts 20:28

   I love the people God has brought under my care. My priority with respect to my call is that my people are fed well, and I will serve them with grace and excellence

   The day I learn more, it will be reflected in their growth too. No man of God should be careless and allow his sheep to be exposed

   This is to balance the call to allow truth. If you are a preacher, sustain the courage to protect the people God has given you. It is not insecurity, it is responsibility

5. We must all obtain grace to confront and deal with our fears, insecurities, hurts and pain so that we do not vent them through the platform of church and preaching

   There are many people whose trouble has nothing to do with denomination. It is a problem of childhood. They were hurt

   Psychology teaches that when you are hurt and wounded you look for any platform to give your pain expression. If it happens to be the pulpit, sorry for those who listen.

   If it happens to be in your company, sorry for those who walk under you

   Some get angry with staff when their best is not enough. It has nothing to do with the secretary.

   She is a scapegoat responding to a man's 20 year old pain that only the Spirit of God can heal

   • I receive healing

   Only wounded people wound others

   If Joseph were not healed he would have killed his brothers. The reason he did not is that he was healed

   Throw me in a dry well, then Potiphar's wife with her own trouble again.

   If I were Joseph coming out of that prison, who do you think I would call first? But the man was healed

   The healing anointing goes beyond physical healing. Many need healing traced back 10, 20, 50 years, to when your father said you would not make it.

   Now you have become a CEO, it is an opportunity to rub that statement off on your subordinates

   Because our walk with the Holy Ghost is personal, we give Him the credit for all the nonsense.

   We mix what He said and what came from our pain, and present it as one

   Hebrews 4:12

   Joshua Selman is preaching, and from here to here is the counsel of God, from here to here is his pain.

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   Both Cain and Abel are there while he is preaching, and Cain is older than Abel

   Don't be ashamed of your childhood. Obtain grace to deal with your fears, insecurities, hurts and pain so that you do not bleed on innocent people

   There are parents who have wounded their children. It has nothing to do with the child.

   The child in them who was told they would never make it is seeking someone to domineer over, whether wife, child, members or ministerial people

   Many things we have credited to the Holy Ghost, the character of our behavior shows He has no hand in them. The Bible defines His modus operandi.

   Just because He is invisible does not mean He is scattered. There is a rhythm to His behavior

   The word of God opens up the way the Spirit behaves. How do you discern? Solomon discerned when he called for the sword 1 Kings 3:24. The word of God is a discerner

6. Every believer and every faith expression must define and probe their statement of faith

   When God speaks prophetically like this, it is because He sees the future

   In Koinonia there is what we call the Koinonia believer. It defines for every believer what you are becoming by submitting to this grace.

   The word of God paints a picture of the kind of Christian you become if you are mentored through this platform

   It is like a curriculum, which gives the student a picture of what they will become after the training

   The average believer in Nigeria cannot articulate clearly what he believes. In my training with the Anglicans we were taught the Apostles' Creed, a statement in defense of what you believe

   Luke 1:1-4

   Don't just mentor believers. Paint a picture: what do you believe, what do you not believe. There has to be clarity

   There are things I believed before and don't believe again. Things I didn't believe before and believe now. Things I didn't believe before and still don't. Things I believed before and still believe

   I have a creed that governs my life. This is where my convictions come from

   A believer without a statement of faith will be tossed to and fro. It is better to be honestly wrong so that you know what to cancel and what to add

   If you want the tide to clear so that the flight will happen, define your statement of faith

7. Walk in love, even in the midst of different views

   God interrupted my plan for this message. Like Paul, necessity is laid on me 1 Corinthians 9:16. If I neglect this instruction my heart and conscience will not give me peace

   We can walk in love. The Bible says 3 profound things about love

   1. It is the more excellent way 1 Corinthians 12:31

   The more excellent way of doing anything is to do it in love.

   The more excellent way of preaching, preach in love. Of doing business, do it in love. Of correcting, correct in love.

   Of building, build in love

   If you have tried other strategies, why don't you try love

   2. It is the noblest spiritual quality any believer can manifest Colossians 3:12-14

   Not power, love. Not even faith Galatians 5:6

   If you have a love problem it will naturally degenerate into a faith problem

   The highest proof of transformation is not knowledge but love

   The proof you are really transformed is not spiritual intelligence necessarily, but love

   Growth that takes love away from your life as the price is not God ordained growth.

   Growth that comes from God, in keeping with His principles, will necessitate that the love of God also grows in you

Love never fails

This year makes 20 years in ministry. Relative to fathers we are children, but at least we have something to say after this long

By the mercies of God I have had the honor of preaching across almost every denomination listed here, and I can tell you one thing: love never fails

People will invite you to their platform not necessarily because of what you are going to share. You carry a dimension of love that becomes profitable for the growth of their organization.

You remain an asset even if you have nothing to say

I have made up my mind to walk by the law of love. Hatred is too heavy for my head.

There is no reason for me to lack sleep Psalm 127:2. If I am not sleeping I am praying. You will not find me awake for worry. Worry is unnecessary luggage

For some of you it is the one thing that has stopped you from rising. You pray in tongues but there is no love at all

When you talk about love it sounds elementary and soft, while prayer and fasting sound like serious things. But it was love that killed and destroyed sin and Satan, not power

Where power failed, love continued. Jesus could have used His power to send 10,000 angels Matthew 26:53. Power would have saved Him but not us. It was love that saved all of us

My desire, beyond being a preacher, is that as our influence grows we will be model enough for the body of Christ to correct some of these imbalances

So that when we stand by faith, we stand in love

Illustration: the airport

The destinations may differ but all planes leave from the same airport. The one going to Enugu still starts from Lagos. The one going to Abuja too

The tarmac was meant for everyone. At take off and landing it is the same airport. Once you take the flight you diverge to your various areas of calling

Imagine the body of Christ without a grace like Pastor Poju, Apostle Grace Lubega, Joshua Selman. Imagine the body of Christ without any one of these ministers

Prayer for the clearing of the weather

Weather affects everything. If the church remains a stormy weather it will affect you.

If not you, it will affect your wife, your child, their school and their business, which are all connected to you

Genesis 8:1-3

This is what God is doing with this teaching. The animals could now come out.

Those who could fly could fly, those who could go out could go out, because the Lord remembered Noah

Different levels of light

At the end of it, the only person who will be put to shame is Satan. It will not be the Orthodox, the word of faith, the Pentecostals or the charismatics

We are operating at different levels of light, and the light we have determines the kind of results and exploits that come Matthew 4:16

Even if the believer has the least light, it is a contribution to the body that should be respected.

If you saw Saul when he was Saul you would not think he would be an asset to the body

Let us give those who have lesser light a chance to see it and grow, while we enjoy the abundance of light God has brought

Do not allow your growth to bring a superiority mentality. Do not go back and say this reverend in this church is preaching nonsense.

If God took time to show you light, it took you 10 years to find it. Be patient

The Holy Ghost is working. If you don't trust the church, trust the Spirit of God

Learn from everyone

I do not know many meetings with such a heterogeneous collection of people across the body of Christ, serving God's grace from various perspectives

What you cannot learn from one you will learn from another. This enhances growth: a little here, a little there, and you become of stature

A man of God with great work who is unashamed to come and sit and learn, knowing there is more, has the character of champions

The days of celebrity Christianity have come to an end

There are things I do not know. I will submit myself to the things I do not know.

If I find something that challenges my thought, I will examine it open-heartedly like a Berean Acts 17:11

Every man of God who serves the grace of God is worthy of your honor, beginning from your pastor. Do not be part of the campaign that downplays what God is doing

If I see a pastor or an elder carrying something, I will carry it for him. I don't care that I am Apostle Joshua Selman

When I go for crusades I thank the pastors. They are the reason members came. We are there for a few days and we go, but they are there to stay.

They may not have so much light, but what of their character, what of their discipline

I come from the north. I have seen people die for the gospel. They had an opportunity for deliverance but said if I will be delivered alone, let me die

We can pray in tongues, but can you stand when they pierce your body one by one with a sword and you are still singing till you die?

We have something to learn from everybody

North, learn what you need to learn from the south. South, learn from the north. Learn from the east. Pentecostals, learn character and stability from the Orthodox

When all is said and done it is the same tarmac we have lifted from, and that tarmac is Jesus Himself, the Cornerstone

We are one body in Christ Romans 12:5