Review of the book Friend of Sinners by Rich Wilkerson, JR.

I enjoyed reading this book. I even ear marked the book on pages I thought were relevant to remember and share with my readers. I like the quote on page xii which says " Jesus was called a lot of names. All he did was love and help people, yet he had his share of bullies and critics. Many of the religious leaders of the day were jealous of his success and afraid he would upset the status quo. They wanted to discredit him in the eyes of the public, so they said all sorts of crazy things about him. They whispered that he was an illegitimate child. They accused him of being demon possessed...."

I also liked the quote on page 11 that says " Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do" says Jesus. Also liked the quote on page 13 that says " Religion tends to look for outward signs that we are qualified to follow God, but Jesus shatters that paradigm time and time again. He doesn't want for us to clean ourselves or renounce our lifestyles. He finds us where we are and calls us to follow him. No application or qualifications needed..." The quote on page 15 says this  by Matthew " You've got to meet this Jesus guy. He accepted me. He believed in me. He delivered me. He changed me." I liked the quote on page 52 which reads "a yoke? Isn't that an instrument of hard labor? I'm already overburdened. How can I take Jesus' yoke on top of what I'm already carrying? This is in relation to the scripture taken at Matthew 11 verse 29....

" If you feel like you are carrying so much weight that you can't take another step; if you feel like you've injured yourself emotionally and mentally because you've borne too much for too long... then enjoy the scripture at 1 peter 5.7" which is on page 59. On page 75 the author says " Jesus came for those whose lives are falling apart, who need him and know it. At the end of the day, none of us have it all together. We all need Jesus." On page 106 the author says " Other times we don't see God because pain and difficult circumstances are overwhelming our hearts and our senses. Maybe we believed he was close to us in the past, but life is suddenly contradictory, and he have trouble believing God could really be there."

I liked the quote on page 114 which says "the church has burned a few bridges with our culture in the names  of evangelism. Church people are famous for forcing their beliefs and morals on people in the name of witnessing. " I also liked the quote on page 121 which says " Maybe your heart is broken, and you wonder if you'll be able to go on. Maybe you wonder if God is real or if he cares for you. Maybe you can't see Jesus through your tears, but he can see you. He's standing next to you, I promise. He is aware of what you are going through. He knows your pain and he calls your name. Turn to him and see him for who he really is. Your life will never be the same because Jesus is near. On page 181 the author says " God comforted me. God loved me. God gave me peace."

Disclosure of Material Connection. I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255. "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." Disclosure of Material Connection. I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255. "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."