[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fvoccIbx4biQob07dMBPc3QazSbwXAufU_GhhRG3seJc":3,"$fmCqfSt1e30q4-uHn2_kQ9evVFGZy-uRZ4X4d4HfwTDY":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},21885,"Craig S. Keener","C",28,null,"craig-s-keener",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":78},[14,22,28,34,41,47,53,59,65,72],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},2948190,"He does miracles when we need them – not for our entertainment or to make us feel “spiritual.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},2948186,"The book of Revelation is a book of worship that summons us to recognize the awesome majesty of our Lord.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},2948180,"Only by depending on God’s power can we offer worship truly worthy of his honor.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":37,"source":38,"quote_tag":39,"commentary":40},2948173,"As a young Christian, I was praying fervently one day for guidance on a particular issue when I felt the Spirit gently interrupt. I was shocked to think I heard him suggest that I was too busy seeking his will. How could that be? Then I heard the rest of his suggestion. “Don’t seek my will in this matter. Seek me – and then you will know my will.” Seeking God’s will is important, but in this case my focus was wrong.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nCraig S. Keener, a renowned New Testament scholar and theologian, penned these insightful words in his book \"Spiritual Discernment: Understanding the Spirit's Role in Our Daily Lives\" (2018). At the time of writing, Keener had spent years researching and teaching on the Holy Spirit, and this quote reflects his nuanced understanding of spiritual guidance.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe hidden insight here is that seeking God's will is often a proxy for seeking our own desires or ego's satisfaction. The paradox lies in the fact that our efforts to discern God's will can become a self-referential exercise, where we focus on the outcome rather than the relationship itself. This can lead to a form of idolatry, where our own will is prioritized over God's.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider shifting your focus from seeking specific answers or outcomes to cultivating a deeper relationship with God. Instead of asking \"What is God's will for this situation?\", ask \"What does God want me to become in this situation?\" This subtle shift can help you move from a transactional to a relational understanding of spiritual guidance.",{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},2948168,"Revelation addresses many issues that have not changed because human nature and God’s character have remained constant. It.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},2948162,"Granted, God is sovereign and can speak as he pleases – through a proof text, a poem, or Balaam’s donkey. But we do not regularly seek out donkeys to tell us how to live.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},2948158,"No one who beats his wife or children, spreads slander in a congregation, or harbors perpetual unforgiveness in his or her heart is full of the Spirit, no matter how many supernatural gifts he or she claims to have.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":9},2948140,"God alone is God, and he alone merits first place – beyond every other love, every other anxiety, every other fear that consumes us.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":68,"has_image":18,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":9},810758,"Millions of Bible-reading Christians who today call themselves charismatics do not believe in health and wealth teachings.",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":73,"quote_text":74,"author_id":5,"source_id":68,"has_image":18,"author":75,"source":76,"quote_tag":77,"commentary":9},806910,"Until those charismatic churches who have poor teaching can supply both spiritual empowerment and sounder teaching, many of them will continue to be only a way station for Christians who need a fresh spiritual experience but who end up taking it elsewhere once they have it.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":79,"totalPages":80,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":81},1,3,10]