What is a Blessing?

1. pseudo dichotomy . There is no such thing natural vs supernatural, only revealed realms/progressions of the supernatural or divine.

God’s creation

(Gen 1:1 NIV) - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God is the creator and sustainer of the universe.

(Act 17:28 NIV) - 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Form & Function = Purpose:

When something functions as it was designed.  Good.

When something functions less than designed,  Cursed

When something functions beyond its original design, Blessing.

Example from Genesis

When something functions as it was designed.  Good.

(Gen 1:31 ESV) - And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

When something functions less than designed,  Cursed

Creation:  Curse

(Gen 3:16 NIV) - To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

(Gen 3:17 NIV) - To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

(Gen 3:18 NIV) - It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

(Gen 3:19 NIV) - By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

When something functions beyond its original design, Blessing.

(Gen 1:28 ESV) - And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

(Gen 1:29 ESV) - And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

(Gen 1:30 ESV) - And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.

What is the purpose of creation & mankind?

(Mat 22:37 NIV) - Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

(Mat 22:38 NIV) - This is the first and greatest commandment.

(Mat 22:39 NIV) - And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

(Mat 22:40 NIV) - All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

How do we Love God?   Obey His Commands

(Jhn 14:15 NIV) - "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

What is God’s Commandment?

(Mat 28:18 NIV) - Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

(Mat 28:19 NIV) - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

(Mat 28:20 NIV) - and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

It takes the power of God to obey the will of God. = Blessed

(Gal 5:22 ESV) - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

(Gal 5:23 ESV) - gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Gal 5:24 ESV) - And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

(Gal 5:25 ESV) - If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.