Book is a term for your calling or destiny in God’s Kingdom (from Ps 139:15-16). We all have a book or purpose for being here, and we are all still filling in the blanks of where it leads. We help people clarify what’s in their books, www.OnlineHeartPlan.com.
There are two common reasons for not opening our book or questioning whether we have a book. We’ve all done both and have had to go back and undo them.
- It’s risky – We’ve all had dreams and desires that didn’t come to pass or were delayed. We made a vow not to allow ourselves to get out on the limb of dreaming, and hoping, and getting hurt again. It’s time to be healed and dream again.
- It’s responsibility – Sons in touch with Father’s purpose have much more freedom of choice, room for iniative, and creativity than we realized. We don’t all choose that level of responsibility “and” we are therefore not a candidate to be chosen for it. We are called and purposed for it, just not chosen because we said no thanks (many are called, few are chosen). It’s time to reverse that, and say, “Here am I Lord, send me.”
Question – Hi John. Where in the Bible do you see that we each have a scroll? I know it’s in Psalm 139:15-16, but it says it’s His book, not my book. There are written my days and the book from revelation. It’s evidently not my book.
Answer – “Book” is a large concept that conveys other words and concepts. Some would say book is a just a Biblical metaphor. Seers encounter books routinely. Instead of reciting verses and intellectual arguments, let me answer with questions for your heart.
- Do you believe God’s will for your life is specific to you?
- Do you believe He has a plan for your life? …a purpose?
- Do you believe you are chosen for anything specific?
- Do you believe in calling, election, destiny?
- Do you believe any of those things are in writing? …in heaven? …on earth?
- Do you believe we should seek to clarify or respond to our own purpose?
- Do you believe we have any responsibility to get those things in writing?
- Do you believe we will give an account for our assignments or role while on earth?
- Do you believe we will be rewarded in heaven for those responses, fruit?
- Do you believe all of this should be called His book, or your book?
Question – And in the promises about the new heart, it says and my laws I will write on their hearts and they will follow. (Jer. 31:33, Heb 8:10, and 10:16)
Answer – The beauty of these verses is that the desires in my heart “voluntarily and relationally” become the same as my Father’s desires. We have the same purpose; we are on the same page. That is why he can invite me to ask Him for the desires of my heart – He wrote them there. We are no longer servants memorizing rules. Now, we are sons having conversations with our Father. He is asking us about the desires in our hearts.
John 15:15-17 – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. NIV
Ask for the desires God wrote in your heart – Ps 37:4, Jn 14:13-14, Jn 15:7-8, Jn 15:23-24
How much initiative? – It is natural to question the level of authority sons are given to ask; heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and cleanse lepers. Do we do it on our own? Does the Father tell us every detail?
Here is what I have come to – Jesus was not ashamed to call us brothers and we not only do all the same works on earth that He did, but we do greater works. We are even given authority to forgive sins (or not!). Can you see the connection between these verses?
John 5:22-23 – Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. NIV
John 20:22-23 – And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” NIV
Here is the safety net that becomes very obvious when you look for. Jesus (and sons) only do what they see their Father doing. I have the authority to bind and loose what is already bound and loosed in heaven. I and my Father are one in purpose. I have all the authority on earth to do what I have seen accomplished in heaven. Sons bring the purpose of heaven to earth. Within the guidance of that purpose, they can ask “whatsoever.” That’s the concept of “In Jesus name.” Our business is the family business of our Father.
You have seen people of “faith” proclaiming or doing great things. When words or deeds come out of that person’s soul, instead of heaven, they do not resonate with our hearts/spirit. They do feel presumptuous. But when we know those exploits came from the Father’s heart, it causes our hearts to leap, and we celebrate their victories. We can discern where they came from.
Creativity flows from purpose – Jesus did not have a shopping list of daily activities from the Father (a to-do list). But He was very clear on the Father’s purpose because he spent the relational time in heaven to “see.” There is always more than one way or one opportunity to achieve purpose. All of our authority, boldness, and confidence on earth comes from one simple place. Did we see Father’s purpose in heaven or not? When we see purpose, we don’t need permission to fill in the blanks on earth.
If we rely on a theological understanding of doctrine for healing, we will only pray out of our soul, and our results will be hit and miss. But people who have seen in heaven have a totally different experience. The same holds true for all of life and business. Are our initiatives rooted in an experience of seeing the Father’s purpose in heaven?
- Do I have a seer gift? Do I want one?
- Have I been to the courts or council? Do I want to go?
- Have I seen and heard what is happening in heaven?
- Have I had a conversation with Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge, Fear of the Lord? Can I?
- Have I written down in a book or journal what I’ve seen and heard?
- Do I have a book?
These are great questions that reflect a huge shift in sonship. We are being moved from servants who lived on manna/bread from heaven (any-minute guidance/every-minute obedience), to sons who ascend to seats in heaven, who are fed by the living words of purpose that continually proceed from our Father. Sons translate the purpose of heaven to exploits on earth with authority, creativity, and fruitfulness; thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
Deut 8:3-6 – He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. NASU
John 5:19-20 – “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. NIV
The Nail Your Purpose Field Guide is a self-help short course that will help you get to the bottom of what God wrote in your heart. It’s a great place to start. This video will help. This free gift will also help Top 10 Symptoms of a Servant Mentality
