A Journey Back to Eden

Rediscovering God’s Original Intent for the Blessed Life

1. GOD WANTS TO TAKE US SOMEWHERE

Psalm 23:1–6 NKJV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

God is leading the church on a journey back to His original intent. The blessing is a great truth—a powerful truth. As we meditate on the Word and give our attention to the blessing of Abraham, it will begin to change the way we think, the way we live, and ultimately, our lives.

Proverbs 10:22, NKJV
The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

2. GOD’S ORIGINAL DESIGN

THE BLESSING is the very creative force of God: It created all we see.

The Hebrew word blessing, which means “to empower.” It’s God’s empowerment. It was His power that established the universe. He put the same creative power and anointing on Adam and his wife—mankind—who were created in His image.

Genesis 1:26–31 NKJV
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. His first order of business was to inform this creation called “man” of His intentions for them? God was quite clear there in His declarations about:

• Man’s identity
• His assignment on earth.
• He left no doubt about His will for man’s environment. He created it to be good in every way.

3. THE GAP

Genesis 3:17–19, NKJV
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

4. GOD’S PLAN REMAINS THE SAME

Malachi 3;6 NKJV
For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

NOAH

Genesis 9:1 NKJV
“So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’”

ABRAHAM

Genesis 12:2 NKJV
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.”

Genesis 24:1 NKJV
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.”

ISSAC

Genesis 26:12–14 NKJV
“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous. 14 For he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.”

JACOB

Genesis 35:9–11 NKJV
God appeared to Jacob again, blessed him, and declared that a nation and a company of nations would come from him.

Genesis 30:43 (NKJV)
“Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.”

CHRIST

Galatians 3:13–14, NKJV
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

YOU & ME

Galatians 3:7–9, NKJV
Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

Galatians 3:16, NKJV
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

OBED-EDOM

2 Samuel 6:10–12, NLT
So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11 The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household. 12 Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration.

1 Chronicles 13:12–14 NLT
14 The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned.