Friend Of God

Prophets, saints, martyrs, sages, and seers—one of the richest repositories of lore about such exemplary religious figures belongs to the world's approximately 1.3 billion Muslims. Illuminating some of the most delightful tales in world religious literature, this engaging book is the first truly global overview of Islamic hagiography. John Renard tells of the characters beyond the Qur'an and Hadith, whose stories of piety and service to God and humanity have captured hearts and minds for nearly fourteen hundred years. Renard's thematic approach to the major characters, narratives, social and cultural contexts, and theoretical concepts of this remarkable treasury of tales, based on material ranging from the eighth to the twentieth centuries and from countries ranging from Morocco to Malaysia, provides insight into the ways in which these stories have functioned in the lives of Muslims from diverse cultural, social, economic, and political backgrounds. The book also serves as a useful and evocative tool for approaching the vast geographical and chronological sweep of Islamic civilization.

Live in the love of a God who desires a relationship with you. Throughout A Friendship Like No Other, renowned spiritual director William A. Barry, SJ, explores the premise that God wants to relate to us as a close friend. Barry has contemplated this idea—radical for many Christians—throughout his lifetime, and he explains that it actually traces back to the “developing revelation of God contained in the Bible.” A Friendship Like No Other offers three well-supported and practical sections: prayerful exercises to help lead you to the conviction that God wants your friendship; a close look at objections to this idea; and reflections on experiencing the presence of God and discerning those experiences. Brief, personal meditations are woven throughout. Grounded in biblical tradition and with a clear focus on Ignatian spirituality, this book offers a fresh, heart-changing approach to living joyfully in the freedom of the divine embrace.

Containing 54 first-person accounts from familiar Bible characters, this storybook is sure to immerse readers in these faith-building stories. A free app available for download lets readers collect, share, and even create digital cards describing these Bible-time friends of God. Full color.

As you read this book you are going to discover that Abraham was not perfect. Nor were the decisions he made, but God never let go of his hand until he achieved the destiny He had planned for his life. There is much to learn from his journey that will enable us to be known as a friend of God. But our journey must begin with the understanding that God has already initiated this friendship with us. It is now our responsibility to pursue Him until side-by-side we walk together into our destiny. Like Abraham, God is calling us to become His faithful friend. May we too answer, "Yes!" and let the journey begin!“...[Rick's] book is interesting, informative, and inspirational...I highly recommend it to all who would like to become a friend to God.”Dr. J. T. Parish, Founding Pastor—Christian Fellowship Church“… If I were going to witness to a person of other religions, I would want to have Becoming a Friend of God with me...”Alan Bray, Business Leader and Teacher“… Rick's fresh insight on the life of Abraham will inspire your faith, deepen your understand, and equip you to become a friend of God.”Tina R. Nelson, Intercessor “… Your faith will be strengthened as you follow God's work in Abraham's life.”Rev. Dale Yerton, International Missionary, Apostle, and Teacher