Rating: 
Summary: A must read
Review: This is one book that I highly recommend to anyone who is planning to do home mission work with youth. The story tells of God's power in the life of a country preacher who lived a life sheltered from much of the world, and enters the streets of New York City with a message of God's love to gangs, drug addicts, and prostitutes.
I recently went on a mission trip to South Padre Island, TX on spring break. To those who don't know, South Padre is among the worst places to be on spring break--lots of partying, stripping, sex, bing drinking. I can truely relate to what Rev. Wilerson saw in the gangsters of New York--lost and dying souls. Having been sheltered myself, I was taken with a great fear of what I would see on the island, but just as my team arrived, the fear was gone, and I was gripped with the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the same Holy Ghost that empowered David Wilkerson in New York City when he brough the Cross in contact with the switchblade.
Rating: 
Summary: Its a classic!!
Review: Way back in the 70's, this book carved a niche that only 'Run Baby Run' and 'Gods Smuggler' matched up to. And even though its a bit of a retro comedy show now, the film of this book was a powerful evangelical tool which saw many people come to the Lord.
However, (and this is going to make me unpopular!!) I have a gripe about the author David Wilkerson. When he went into the ganglands of NY and preached and saved gangbangers he was a pioneer that broke out of the 'norm' of preaching in the safety of the 'burbs and went where God sent him even though he was criticized by his methods.
So I find it a little bewildering that this same man has publicly criticized other radical evangelists that came to NY before 9/11 saying that they had no right to preach in HIS city and all 56,000 apparant conversions were not considered genuine!! Hello...Dave I think you have to read your book again mate!!
Rating:
Summary: Six stars at least
Review: What a tremendous message this book has to give. Miracles happen right in the worst parts of New York, away from the glamourous bits, right in the middle of the hard, the tough, the smelly and the nasty - and it actually keeps on happening.These days, so much has changed. A local pentecostal preacher once told me that he went to Leeds one Saturday; that he was so disgusted by the beggars, and used to see the same ones all the time, how awful that they should always be there; and once he got real close up to one, who was (from what he told me) probably very weak, maybe even dying, lying on the ground, got about six inches away from their ear, and shouted at the top of his voice, "GET A JOB!!!" Stand this in contrast with the Wilkerson man. This guy, realizing that the zonkos and beggars know that they're sinners, possibly scarcely realizing anything else at all, goes and gives them a bed for the night - feeds them - gives them a bath and warm clothes. The tells them that God knows them and has already fixed up a plan for them - that to the God who made the sun and the outer planets, THEY matter - "whosoever will" can come and drink from the waters of life, that they can repent, and be made blameless before the king of kings. [Life isn't cheap to this man.] Then the guy fixes up this organisation called "teen challenge", held together by almost no money at all, but lots of prayer, who pulls loads of dropouts and folks who are very nearly dead from all over the place and stands them on the the higher ground... Man, this book is so good. I know that these days, many of the big churches... (I used to be in Perth, Western Australia) and there was this huge church near to the Casino. The car park was full of BMWs, and all the evidence was that the church was really inwards looking, far too concerned with "signs and wonders" to remember about the plan of Salvation at all. So much for the lost, no place for them. When I went to Yorkshire, I was amazed how the church had similarly split along these lines - those who preached the gospel, the same one as David Wilkerson preached - to the lost sheep - (go and READ this, will you) and those who prayed for (and maybe got) bigger houses, fatter share options, sports cars, foreign holidays, etc. The contrast is huge. Read this book and find out what the cost of discipleship to Christ really means - how many days and nights of prayer it really takes to move those mountains - and what faith is REALLY about. And the failures, when Sonny does not come back, and all the disappointments when it doesn't seem to go to plan and they're just about to get kicked out of the building... I was brought up with this book, and as far as I can remember, I have worn out probably six copies. Time I got myself a new one....
Rating: 
Summary: Is this a fairy tale
Review: What is reported in the book may be true but the author has definately taken poetic licence in the telling of the events. Is Wilkerson such a meglomeanic that he sees this book as an appendage to the Acts of the Apostles? Maybe so. The pictures that are contained in the book come from the movie which starred Pat Boone.
Several references are made to the devil. As a matter of fact, the devil is mentioned as mush as God in this book.
I have also heard Wilkerson preach. He should enroll himself at some divinity school and learn the concepts of Christianity
Rating:
Summary: A great testimony!
Review: Witnessing to people for many years, this book has sent a powerful message out to all who have taken the time to read it. Believe it not, this book used to be required reading in many High Schools across America. I found this book on the Washington Monument (Mall) grounds July 4th in the very late 60's or very early 70's (I can't remember exactly) after the police broke up a very large demonstration against the war in Viet Nam. The place was littered with many items left after a "hippy vs police" riot broke out, and as the police deployed tear gas and battled the demonstrators up Pennsylvania Avenue. It was an exciting day, but it also proved to be a day which my eyes were truly opened to the power of Lord... after I started to read the worn copy I had found in the mud. I couldn't put it down. This book opened the eyes of my understanding in so many ways, and started my path towards the recovery from the battlefields of southeast asia, from the struggle to survive in the brutal climate of war. From the conflicts of doing my job as a warrior, and seeing the death and destruction of lives all around me, knowing that the bullets and bombs were not enough. I was a shell of what I should have been at 25, a survivor a fighter, enduring the ravages of the human race and coming out physically capable but mentally tormented. This book started my comeback, my recovery, my search, my seeking and showed me an open door which, once I entered in, I was given my life back. I can never forget that, I can only praise God for the revelation.
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