Scan barcode
rebeccasarine's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This was a powerful read. I doubt you could just read this book and move on. It will speak to you and provoke change. It is about spiritual disciplines. But it is more about really experiencing God and living for God. He calls it the "holy wild". It is about not being lukewarm but being HOT. It is about the things of God that seem contradictory to us. We are encouraged not to explain them away or only pick the parts that we like but to experience it for what it is and let God be who he is.
Here is a section that I noted: "Maybe we like our Bibles softened, sharpened, explained, embellished, tidied up, boiled down. Both distilled and diluted...I have a proposal: that we start taking our Bible raw and uncut...We don't probe and hairsplit and dissect the Bible; it does that to us...Enter fully into it-or better, let it enter fully into you..."Take it and eat it," the angel told John, offering him the scroll upon which was written the words of God's speaking. "It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey" (Rev 10:9)...Let it disrupt you. Let it shock you, offend you, confuse you. Let it bore you, even. And by all means, let it teach you and nourish and comfort you. Taste its sweetness. Then let the useful word train you. Let the double edged sword cut you." He goes on to say that our North American way is to lick the honeycomb but avoid swallowing. We want the sweet but Proverbs tells us that too much sweet will make us vomit and "He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet." (Proverbs 25:16 and 27:7)
This book is well written. It just draws you in. It opens your eyes. It makes sense. I didn't want to put it down. So many of the chapters were convicting or thought provoking for me but the top of the list goes to Chapter 7, "Wrestling Toward Surrender" and Chapter 8, "The Right Thing in a Wrong World". I also am hanging on to his statement that prayer is a willingness to wait but also that waiting requires a willingness to pray.
I will be keeping a copy of this book on my bookshelves and I highly recommend it!
Here is a section that I noted: "Maybe we like our Bibles softened, sharpened, explained, embellished, tidied up, boiled down. Both distilled and diluted...I have a proposal: that we start taking our Bible raw and uncut...We don't probe and hairsplit and dissect the Bible; it does that to us...Enter fully into it-or better, let it enter fully into you..."Take it and eat it," the angel told John, offering him the scroll upon which was written the words of God's speaking. "It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey" (Rev 10:9)...Let it disrupt you. Let it shock you, offend you, confuse you. Let it bore you, even. And by all means, let it teach you and nourish and comfort you. Taste its sweetness. Then let the useful word train you. Let the double edged sword cut you." He goes on to say that our North American way is to lick the honeycomb but avoid swallowing. We want the sweet but Proverbs tells us that too much sweet will make us vomit and "He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet." (Proverbs 25:16 and 27:7)
This book is well written. It just draws you in. It opens your eyes. It makes sense. I didn't want to put it down. So many of the chapters were convicting or thought provoking for me but the top of the list goes to Chapter 7, "Wrestling Toward Surrender" and Chapter 8, "The Right Thing in a Wrong World". I also am hanging on to his statement that prayer is a willingness to wait but also that waiting requires a willingness to pray.
I will be keeping a copy of this book on my bookshelves and I highly recommend it!
naomiatwater49's review against another edition
1.0
I think someone gave me this book a long time ago, and I finally got around to starting it. I was really intrigued and heard good things but I strongly disagree with the premise of it.
In one of the first few chapters, the author asserts that we ask a lot of God when we’re in need, but not what to do with our abundance. And that Christian culture encourages any asking of God, where we should be careful what we ask for and only approach him when our requests are selfless and focused on furthering our relationship with him.
This is where I stopped. God tells us again and again that he wants us to come to him like little children, even if we’re not sure what we want or what’s best for us. We can ask and talk to him about anything, because it’s about the relationship that we’re building and not approaching him being all put together or knowing the answers. We don’t have to wait to talk to him until we have the right heart posture but we can come to him whenever.
It’s probably true that we miss the holiness of God in a lot of our Christianity. But that’s why it’s amazing that a holy God wants us to be like children and to admire his holiness from that angle, not one of distance from afar.
In one of the first few chapters, the author asserts that we ask a lot of God when we’re in need, but not what to do with our abundance. And that Christian culture encourages any asking of God, where we should be careful what we ask for and only approach him when our requests are selfless and focused on furthering our relationship with him.
This is where I stopped. God tells us again and again that he wants us to come to him like little children, even if we’re not sure what we want or what’s best for us. We can ask and talk to him about anything, because it’s about the relationship that we’re building and not approaching him being all put together or knowing the answers. We don’t have to wait to talk to him until we have the right heart posture but we can come to him whenever.
It’s probably true that we miss the holiness of God in a lot of our Christianity. But that’s why it’s amazing that a holy God wants us to be like children and to admire his holiness from that angle, not one of distance from afar.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I have been reading a lot lately about spiritual disciplines and when I started this book, I thought Buchanan was headed in a different direction. Buchanan is concerned that most Christians prefer to live in the "borderlands; that we get stuck in that place.
Buchanan says we want a comfortable God rather than a comforting God, that we want a God who doesn't push us too much. I would agree with him.
I would also agree that spiritual disciplines help us become more in touch with God and her desires for us. Buchanan goes over some basic practices, read the Bible, fast, pray and be a servant.
Because I have already been reading in this area, none of this seems new. However, I think Buchanan writes some familiar thoughts in new ways. I found what he had to say about Jonah enlightening. Also his thoughts on fasting made me think through this practice again.
Buchanan says we want a comfortable God rather than a comforting God, that we want a God who doesn't push us too much. I would agree with him.
I would also agree that spiritual disciplines help us become more in touch with God and her desires for us. Buchanan goes over some basic practices, read the Bible, fast, pray and be a servant.
Because I have already been reading in this area, none of this seems new. However, I think Buchanan writes some familiar thoughts in new ways. I found what he had to say about Jonah enlightening. Also his thoughts on fasting made me think through this practice again.
glendonrfrank's review against another edition
3.0
Rest of God had me glued to the page, but for some reason this one never fully grabbed me? Maybe it's just reflective of different areas of life, Your God is Too Safe felt more like review than anything for me, personally. The back half was a lot more interesting, a lot more calls to action etc. A lot of the stuff in the closing chapters about people relying on the church to 'feed' them spiritually rather than seeking that out themselves was very striking.
nelleplett's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book. I was challenged to dig deeper and become more disciplined for the right reasons.
joshmillernj's review against another edition
5.0
Of the thirty-four books that I have read this year, this book has pierced my heart in ways that none of the others did. I picked up this book by happenstance (it was the Lord's directing) in a thrift store for $1 while living in Indiana. I was not familiar with the author, but the title intrigued me and I purchased the book.
If you read this book, prepare for a challenging, convicting, inspiring, motivating, and yet honest look at the region called "borderland" that all of us too often live in. The illustrations and the way the book was put together completely grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go until the end.
Every chapter had a succinct truth that drove home different points. I aim to read through this again in the near future and meditate on its truths a bit more.
Made the list of the top ten Christian books I have ever read.
If you read this book, prepare for a challenging, convicting, inspiring, motivating, and yet honest look at the region called "borderland" that all of us too often live in. The illustrations and the way the book was put together completely grabbed a hold of me and didn't let go until the end.
Every chapter had a succinct truth that drove home different points. I aim to read through this again in the near future and meditate on its truths a bit more.
Made the list of the top ten Christian books I have ever read.
marlisenicole's review against another edition
4.0
The idea behind this book is great. I found it a little dated, though. 2001 is 20 years ago; what?!
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I have been reading a lot lately about spiritual disciplines and when I started this book, I thought Buchanan was headed in a different direction. Buchanan is concerned that most Christians prefer to live in the "borderlands; that we get stuck in that place.
Buchanan says we want a comfortable God rather than a comforting God, that we want a God who doesn't push us too much. I would agree with him.
I would also agree that spiritual disciplines help us become more in touch with God and her desires for us. Buchanan goes over some basic practices, read the Bible, fast, pray and be a servant.
Because I have already been reading in this area, none of this seems new. However, I think Buchanan writes some familiar thoughts in new ways. I found what he had to say about Jonah enlightening. Also his thoughts on fasting made me think through this practice again.
Buchanan says we want a comfortable God rather than a comforting God, that we want a God who doesn't push us too much. I would agree with him.
I would also agree that spiritual disciplines help us become more in touch with God and her desires for us. Buchanan goes over some basic practices, read the Bible, fast, pray and be a servant.
Because I have already been reading in this area, none of this seems new. However, I think Buchanan writes some familiar thoughts in new ways. I found what he had to say about Jonah enlightening. Also his thoughts on fasting made me think through this practice again.
More...