Divine Thinking: Instructions in Godly Thinking

By Bishop L. A. Wilkerson

Divine Thinking: Instructions in Godly Thinking will provoke you to shed societal concepts and practices about how to become successful and instead embrace the thought processes of the God of the Bible to find your purpose, defeat fear, and discover the true meaning of success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512771497

Bishop L. A. Wilkerson

Bishop L. A. Wilkerson is the senior pastor of Agap Christian Ministries in Austin, Texas. He is a pastor, teacher, and mentor. Over the last twenty years, Bishop Wilkersons congregation has grown from three members in 1993 to over 1200 members, on two church campuses, in the greater Austin area. He leads his congregation in the mission to impact this generation with the love of God. He currently preaches four or five times each week with powerful messages of biblical instruction and strategies for effective Christian living. He also teaches leadership courses designed to help leaders become acutely knowledgeable about the focal point of leadership: people. He is the founder of the Agap Family of Churches, where he serves as a pastor to pastors and is an active member of Christ Together Greater Austin, a collective of diverse pastors committed to reducing the lostness of Central Texas. Bishop Wilkerson has written two previous books: Whats Agap Got To Do With It? and the The Making of a Leader. He earned his BA degree in public administration from Long Island University and attended the Master of Divinity program at Austin Presbyterian Seminary. He is married to Elder Lisa Wilkerson, and they are the proud parents of two daughters and a son. Bishop Wilkersons personal mantra is I will bless the Lord at all times . . .

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Copyright © 2017 Bishop L. A. Wilkerson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations in this publications are from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7150-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7151-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7149-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017900412

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/14/2017

DEDICATION

It is my blessing and honor to dedicate this book to my spiritual father, Bishop Jasper Williams. I must say, without doubt or reservation, that he has shown me the love of a father. Bishop Jasper believed in the call of God upon my life when many thought I was crazy. He prophesied my future and encouraged me to pursue the impossible. He dared to see and to believe what God showed him in the Spirit about me. There are many things I would dream but dared not ask or believe God for in the beginning of my ministry. Bishop Jasper inspired and nurtured faith in my life to believe God for what I did not see.

Through his integral and genuine walk with God, I learned true commitment to God. His devotion and unwavering allegiance to prayer, have guided the foundation for my ministry. As I reflect, I recall the years that I served him in prayer each Sunday morning before he ministered the Word of God. Now, I glory in his ministry to me in prayer every Sunday morning before I minister. The words of 1 Corinthians 4:15 ring true, For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers…. Bishop Jasper: in Christ, you have begotten me in the Gospel. I love you and I thank you.

Your son in the Gospel,

Bishop L.A. Wilkerson

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Exactly, What Is Thinking?

2. Kingdom Thinking

3. Fearful Thinking

4. Worldly Thinking

5. Thinking as a Servant

6. Thinking as a Winner

7. Final Thoughts

About the Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is amazing the things that can be accomplished through team work. If you have an unfulfilled vision or dream as a pastor or visionary, consider forming the right team to manifest your dream. You have heard it said, Teamwork makes the dream work! There are members of my team that I owe a debt of gratitude for their relentless and untiring commitment to this project.

I want to thank Elder Flora Fearon for hearing God to assist me and for every moment she spent preparing the materials for this project. Thank you for your faithfulness to set deadlines, and for your kind reminders to meet them. I also appreciate the tremendous Adult Education team of Agapé Christian Ministries for their timeless contributions made to this book. I could not have done this without you. I must, also, say thank you to Elder Eric Tharps, and Isaac and Amber Rowe for their technical assistance, as well as their help to connect me to the world through social media and to Elder Vanessa Wilkerson for the time spent developing the cover design for this book. Each of you is truly a gift from God to me and to the success of this book.

My deepest gratitude is to my family. I appreciate the patience and love of my wife, Elder Lisa Wilkerson and my three children: Lauren, Lindsay and Lawrence II. Serving you with my life and my gifts provides inspiration to complete all that I do. Thank you for your love and support.

Finally, I must acknowledge my congregation, Agapé Christian Ministries, as a source of growth in my personal life and in the Kingdom of God. You are the greatest congregation in the world!

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

INTRODUCTION

Your thoughts give birth to words. The words you speak give birth to and frame the world you live in. When I say world