Provoking God's Blessings: Understanding God's Spiritual Laws and Principles

By Pat James

Understanding how to cooperate with God's spiritual laws and principles facilitates personal growth, advancement, and success in God's kingdom. Neglecting or violating these truths results in curses, a lack of spiritual growth, and failing to fulfill your destiny. Practical application of the lessons and prayers in this book will help readers function successfully in the kingdom of God. Through faith and obedience, they will be able to break free from being naturally minded into being spiritually minded. They will become empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome sin, the world, and Satan's plans to detour their destiny. The content and format of Provoking God's Blessings provides the reader with a comprehensive approach to studying God's spiritual laws and principles, solid biblical teaching and scripture-based prayers, twelve lessons for use by individuals and small Bible study groups, discussion questions and reflective interaction with the material, Pat's personal illustrations and testimonies from others. Whether you are a new believer or a mature disciple in Christ you will benefit from increased understanding and appreciation for how God's kingdom functions, being set free from past sinful patterns and curses, living the abundant life God offers us in His Word, experiencing personal and spiritual growth in Christ, and learning how to walk in Holy Spirit empowerment. God has invested much in Pat James through both training and life experiences. Pat holds back nothing as she earnestly passes on those lessons to those willing to learn from her. I encourage you to gather in a small group and take the time to absorb and practice what the Holy Spirit has laid out clearly for you in Provoking God's Blessings.-Dr. Evelyn Biles, founder and director of Global Mosaic International, adjunct affiliate professor at Regent University

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098045623

Book preview

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Provoking

god’s Blessings

Understanding God’s Spiritual Laws and Principles

Pat James

Tree of Life Ministries

Foreword by Jim Jackson

ISBN 978-1-0980-4561-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-0980-4562-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2020 by Pat James

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to our two lovely daughters, Lisa McBane and Mary Tinsley. By God’s grace (divine enablement) and design, you have become strong women of faith, wonderful wives and mothers, and successful business entrepreneurs. We are very proud of who you have become! We pray you will discover your purpose in Christ and fulfill your destiny in God’s kingdom.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Laws, Principles, and Wisdom

Lesson 1

Natural and Spiritual Laws

Lesson 2: First the Natural, Then the Spiritual

Characteristics of Spiritual Laws

Lesson 3: The Old Testament Laws

The Eighteen Spiritual Laws at Work

Lesson 3: (Continued)

Lesson 4: 3. The Law of Judgment

Lesson 5: 8. The Law of the Spirit of Life

Lesson 6: 12. The Law of Reciprocity

Lesson 7: 17. The Law of Love

Spiritual Principles of the Kingdom

Lesson 8: Pearls of Wisdom

Lesson 9: 6. Confession of Faith

Lesson 10: 11. Binding and Loosing

Lesson 11: 18. Taking Up Offences

Turning Curses into Blessings—Iniquity into Righteousness

Lesson 12: Hindrances to Receiving God’s Blessings

Epilogue

Suggested Resources

References

Endorsements

As pastors, my wife and I have ministered and served with Pat for many years. We count it a great honor and privilege to be asked to endorse her first published book. As pastors, Marian and I have read and benefited from many books on counseling. Yet we both agree that Pat’s book, Provoking God’s Blessings—Understanding God’s Spiritual Laws and Principles, is one of the most comprehensive, yet basic, biblical books we have read on the subject of the natural and spiritual laws that govern our walk with Jesus.

This book really should be taught as a textbook, Counseling 101, to seminary students and those studying for any ministerial field. Not only is it a great counseling tool for Christian counselors and pastors, it would make an excellent home-group study, young adult, group Bible study, or personal study guide. Today’s church has drifted from the tenants and foundations of God’s Word, yet Pat has brought us back to a realization of God’s spiritual laws and principles and how they work not only in our lives, but in our interactions with others.

In Pat’s prologue, she quoted Hosea 6:4, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. After reading and studying her book for themselves, the Body of Christ will no longer have that excuse. We genuinely thank Pat for her timely and Holy Spirit-inspired book. She truly provoked a blessing in our hearts.

—Pastors Paul and Marian Boyd, His Place Worship Center, Marion, North Carolina, https://www.hisplaceoutreach.org/.

In my reading, I find that this book does not read like a regular book, but is composed like a study guide, full of true revelations, and help can be found here. I pray that these revelations will heal each reader’s spirit man as they read this book from their own identity standpoint. Enjoy your time with this book and the Holy Spirit’s presence, bringing personal change.

—Pam Smith, president of the Western North Carolina Aglow Area Team, Statesville, North Carolina

Several years ago, I invited Pat and Tommy to join me for two weeks to teach a counseling course at a fledgling Southeast Asian pastoral counseling school. They taught God’s grace and truth from their hearts in such a memorable way that those students still remember both the lessons and the teachers. Pat provided counseling to several people using the principles she has laid out in this book. God has invested much in her through both training and life experiences. Pat holds back nothing as she earnestly passes on those lessons to those willing to learn from her. I encourage you to gather in a small group and take the time to absorb and practice what the Holy Spirit has laid out clearly for you in Provoking God’s Blessings.

—Dr. Evelyn Biles, founder-director of Global Mosaic International, adjunct affiliate professor at Regent University, and founder of Pastoral Counseling Studies, and adjunct professor at Alpha Omega International College; lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This is an amazing book! Pat James has not only concisely described the spiritual laws and principles found in the Bible, but added her own pearls of wisdom and others’ testimonies related to them. It is a valuable resource for Christians desiring to live out their faith, and for those who mentor them. Practical application discussion questions enhance its use as small group study material as well. We highly recommend Provoking God’s Blessings!

—Pastors Rex and Suzy Schrolucke, Trinity Christian Fellowship, Williamsburg, Ohio, www.tcf-church.org.

Those who have walked in the Spirit for many years have a responsibility to pass on the wisdom and knowledge they have gleaned from living in the kingdom of God. Pat James has taken up that mantle and skillfully laid out in her book the principles of how to live on the earth from the reign of heaven. As you read, you will see that God’s laws are not burdensome. Quite the contrary, they release divine blessings and bring fullness of life. The keys are here in the pages of this book, just waiting for us to take them up and live them out.

—Mary Byrd Gordon, retired United Methodist Church pastor, Lenoir, North Carolina; author of Dreams and Revelation, Salisbury: Diversified Graphics Inc.

What a mighty tool for successful living! This skillfully written, compelling presentation of eighteen spiritual laws that are so crucial to our walking in a Spirit-filled, fulfilling life—is a gift from God. These spiritual laws and principles are laid out for us in such a way as to invoke in us a desire to start immediately incorporating them into our daily lives. What a deep insight into the workings of God and His laws in our lives.

We often find ourselves in places we ought not to be because we don’t fully understand how these laws so impact our being a successful Christian. No longer do we have an excuse! Provoking God’s Blessings is a mighty tool in our hand. Here is the handbook that will guide us into structuring our lives around these laws and principles. We can now stand back in awe as we see God’s hand move mountains on our behalf and blessings flow all around us. Thank you, Pat James.

—Anne Grimes, Anne’s Dumplings and Homeplace of Ayden, Ayden, North Carolina, https://www.annesdumplings.com/, https://www.facebook.com/Homeplace-of-Ayden-2014061388814565/.

Foreword

Provoking God’s Blessings is truly an extremely important book for any and all Christians who are serious about living a successful life that is filled with the blessings of God. I think it is one of the best and clearest presentations I have ever read on the importance of honoring God’s Word in our daily lives. It sets a standard and challenge that is vital for every person who desires the full favor of God.

This is a book that serves the cause of Christ by raising one of the most important questions facing Christians and then presenting the answers in precise unmistakable clear conclusions. The question is regarding the importance of keeping and obeying God’s spiritual laws and principles. It should do away with the absurd idea that our modern world is exempt from the restraints of the sacred and biblical laws.

I am grateful to Pat James for her uncompromising faithfulness of taking on this timely and significant question regarding the importance of the law and in honoring God’s Word. If there has ever been a book in which whose time has come, it is this one—a book that serves the cause of Christ by raising the most important question human beings face, and then giving the basis for answers. Is the law of God relevant and important to me as a Christian in my daily living? If so, then how?

Living successfully in God’s kingdom hits at the very core of every believer who wants to live a life victoriously on a daily basis. This should be central in the desire and hope of each and every Christian. At the end of each lesson comes the challenge of a personal response entitled Life Application. It is now the reader’s opportunity to be honest with themselves by answering thought-provoking questions, which causes one to consider themselves and their lives in the light of truth. Each lesson closes with a prayer to appropriate the grace and power to walk in the laws and principles discussed. Both individuals and small Bible study groups will enjoy this interactive study of God’s Word.

There is no doubt in my mind that living victorious and successful lives only comes through our honoring of the God-given guidelines referred to as spiritual laws. And yes, we fail. But it is then through, and by His grace, we are forgiven for our failures, and once again, we are given the opportunity to strive to hit the high mark of excellence in our daily lives as outlined in scriptures.

It is my prayer and hope as you carefully and fully explore this helpful guide to living successfully in the kingdom—that you will be blessed and encouraged. No doubt that life’s success only comes as we embrace all the promises and guidance of God through our love for Him and obedience to His Word. I strongly urge you to provoke the blessings in your life so you may enjoy a hundredfold return on your kingdom investments.

—Jim Jackson, founder and president emeritus of Christian Believers United, Black Mountain, North Carolina, www.cbu.org.

Acknowledgments

Since this is the first book and possibly the last book I will ever write. I would like to go back to my childhood. The first person I would like to acknowledge is my Heavenly Father, who has been protecting me and drawing me closer to Him my whole life. I remember going to the Presbyterian youth camp at NaCoMe Camp and Conference Center, Pleasantville, Tennessee, every summer. In between the Bible study classes in the morning and the square dancing at night, I was searching for more of God. I remember the morning and evening services at the outdoor Hull Chapel where I sang, This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long. And like Moses, I asked, God, if you are real, show me Your glory. Show me the plan You have for my life.

The next person is the Lord Jesus Christ, whom I invited into my heart when I was twelve years old. My family attended Buntyn Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, where I was taught reverence for God’s Word, the value of prayer, and how to worship God in song and music. In 1975, after nine years of backsliding from formal church activities, Jesus baptized my husband, Tommy, and I with the Holy Spirit. We became actively involved in the Full Gospel movement sweeping America at that time. In 1980, the Lord called us to become prophetic counseling ministers in the body of Christ.

I would also like to acknowledge the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who is often overlooked or ignored by Christians. He gave me greater understanding into the unique characteristics of spiritual laws back in 2001. For weeks, I felt compelled to dig deeper into God’s Word searching for the secrets of His kingdom. I prayed for more insight into how we could help the people of God live the victorious life of an overcomer I read about in the Scriptures.

Since then Holy Spirit continues to provide revelation about God’s Word and His ways in the form of short, inspired words of wisdom I have recorded in numerous journals over the years. I want to thank Him for the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and the anointing so necessary for a life of walking in the Spirit with Him.

The basis for the book Understanding God’s Spiritual Laws and Principles was left lying in the dark recesses of my computer for years. In 2017, I gathered up the courage to show the manuscript to Jim Jackson with Christian Believers United (CBU). I asked him if he thought it had any merit and to judge the validity of the content. I want to sincerely thank Jim for his gracious encouragement to finish the book and get it published.

I wish to thank pastors Paul and Marian Boyd at His Place Worship Center in Marion, North Carolina, for their love, prayer support, and for allowing me to minister in the gifts of the Spirit and serve on the prayer team. Nothing beats on the job training for learning how to move in your gifts and calling—like serving in a local church.

Two international ministries, which we have been associated with over the years, are the Christian International Network of Ministries (CIAN), under Dr. Bill Hamon and the Healing House Network (HHN) under Chester and Betsy Kylstra. Both of these organizations had a tremendous impact on our walk with God, growth in Christ, and our destiny in God’s kingdom. Thank you for believing in us and providing us with awesome opportunities to serve others around the world as prophetic counseling ministers.

I would like to thank Pam Smith, president of the Western North Carolina Area Team of Aglow International. It was her encouragement and prayer support that enabled me to serve the Lord through the Hickory, North Carolina, Lighthouse. Being a lighthouse leader gave me many opportunities to grow in my knowledge of the Word, leadership skills, and the ways of God.

Four dear sisters in the Lord helped me tremendously with proofreading and editing the manuscript—First, Mary Gordon and her husband, Frank, are retired United Methodist Church pastors in Lenoir, North Carolina. Second, Suzy Schrolucke and her husband, Rex, pastor Trinity Christian Fellowship, Williamsburg, Ohio. They have been friends of ours for over twenty years. Third, Kay Sherman, my sister-in-law and a retired English teacher, who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. And fourth, Dr. Evelyn Biles and her husband, Stephen, who founded Global Mosaic International. I so appreciate their encouragement and patience with the numerous typos, run-on sentences, and parallelisms that needed correcting. I am forever grateful to them for discovering all the mistakes I made and helping me achieve excellence in the final product.

A good book not only contains concepts and information, but it contains personal illustrations and testimonies that make it come alive with practical application. Thirteen brothers and sisters in the Lord responded to a request to send in their personal story on one or more of the spiritual laws at work in their life. Their encouraging stories provided the icing on the cake for the spiritual truths about which I wrote. I am grateful to them for taking the time to reflect on their spiritual walk with the Lord and helping me write Provoking God’s Blessings.

Finally, I most appreciate my dear husband, Tommy James, for his encouragement, patience, and support while I spent days at a time working on the manuscript. I owe much of