It’s that time of year, once again, when we hear people saying, “Peace on earth and goodwill between men.” This constant refrain in songs and conversations is uttered by many from all quarters at this time of year. However, what's interesting is that many people don't know that this quotation is actually a passage from the Bible. And even many Christians, sad to say, don't know what it really means.
What is the most precious stone of all? The Hajj pilgrimage was being shown live on T.V. Pilgrims were walking around the Ka’ba ceremonially. Many Muslims were kissing the special stone called Hajr al-Aswad, the black stone in one of the walls. It is said that Abraham and Ishmael used this stone to stand on while building the Ka’ba. According to some stories, the stone at a time could change its shape to help them construct the building.
Many are telling us that America is on the move into a post-Christian agenda like Europe did 25-50 years ago, but it’s moving at a more incredible speed of change than Europe did. Several recent surveys reveal that the size of the Christian evangelical church in America is around 21 to 22 million—7-8% of the total population—not the 60 million to 70 million of past reports. Others might believe in God or go to mainline denominational churches, but not churches where the Bible’s standard and authority over all cultural issues of debate is used.
Every year, millions of Muslims around the world make the religious journey known as Hajj to Mecca. As one of the five 'pillars' of Islam, Hajj is a requirement for Muslims to perform at least once in their life, if physically and financially able (Qur’an 2:196ff). Muslims consider their sins forgiven due to their participation. Some make the pilgrimage more than once.
Many Muslims spend their entire lives saving and planning for this journey to Mecca, where no non-Muslims are allowed. Some sleep in fancy hotels; others don’t. However, they all share the purpose of fulfilling Hajj, following in the footsteps of Muhammad. This article deals with the question of Why Christians should know about Hajj.
The bodily, historical resurrection of Jesus is vital to our salvation. Among many claims, Jesus claimed, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). During his ministry, Jesus mentioned many times his death and burial and that he would rise: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.
