I keep getting conflicting info on this, and I ache for clarification and truth.

God commanded His people to observe the Sabbath and Feast days (even Jesus and His disciples did), and whoever believes on Jesus' name are His people.  Jesus didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it and make it better (with His gift of the Holy Spirit and circumcision of our hearts), and so the law still stands.  Why do so many christians think it is okay not to observe them?

Because I am not a Jew, is it crazy/worthless for me to observe these days?  I'm only trying to follow Jesus' examples.  What is so wrong with that?

Sincerely,
Eaten Up By This

Dear Eaten Up By This,

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law when He died upon the cross (Lk 24:44-47).  The Old Testament law was a tutor to lead us to Christ, but now that Christ is here, we are no longer under that law (Gal 3:24-25). We are told to not worry about feasts and festivals in the New Testament (Col 2:16).  Jews kept the feast days; christians keep the New Testament, the law of Christ (Gal 6:2).

Were there dinosaurs during Noah's time?

Sincerely,
Question-o-saurus

Dear Question-o-saurus,

We have every reason to believe that there were dinosaurs during Noah’s time… and that Noah put them on the ark along with the other animals.  Noah was told by God to put two of every kind of animal on the ark (Gen 6:19-20).  This would have included the dinosaurs.  Noah probably put young, smaller dinosaurs on the ark considering they would fit better, and they would be better prepared to live long lives and repopulate after the Flood.

Another reason that it is likely dinosaurs lived during Noah’s time is all the dinosaur fossils we find.  Most of the fossils that are found today were created by the cataclysmic flood of Noah’s day.  Ever wonder why there are so many fossils?  Millions of dead creatures were covered in dirt, water, and lava when the Flood happened.

And last, but not least, dinosaurs are spoken of in the book of Job – which was written after the flood of Noah’s day.  Job talks about two creatures: the Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and Leviathan (Job 41:1-34) that both match the description of dinosaurs perfectly.  Since Job lived after the Flood, it means that dinosaurs were still alive after Noah’s time.

What characters appear both in the OT and NT?

Sincerely,
Bridging The Books

Dear Bridging The Books,

There is a four-hundred-year gap between the first books of the New Testament and the last book of the Old Testament; consequently, not many people appear in both sections of the Bible.  Here is a list of the few that do:

1. The Father
2. Jesus
3. Holy Spirit
4. Elijah and Moses (appeared at the transfiguration of Jesus – Matt 17:3)
5. Satan

Hope that helps.

I know that God is the only one who is good, and I know that my understanding of God may not be complete due to the sin in my life, but I have a problem understanding something.  If I were a parent and I had a newborn son, what kind of environment would I create for him?  Would I create a living room with a couch, a coffee table, TV, etc...?  Would I provide food and drink, companionship, and love?  Of course, I would.  I would want the best for my child.  What kind of parent would you think I was if I put a loaded gun on the coffee table and then told my newborn son that he should not put the gun to his head and pull the trigger.  He can do anything else, but he cannot do this.  Of course, I would want him to listen to me and not blow his brains out.  Now, throw into the mix my hated enemy, allow him into the living room, and allow him to convince the child to pick up the gun.

Why did my Father put the tree in the garden and then let the evil devil into the garden to deceive Adam and Eve?  Why didn’t He protect them and us?  I am confused, and prayer is not helping.  Am I wrong to think of this, or is it my cross to bear?  Please help me.

Sincerely,
Gun Safety

Dear Gun Safety,

If God hadn’t put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil into the garden (Gen 2:9), Adam and Eve wouldn’t really have had free will… which is an integral part of what makes mankind “in the image of God” (Gen 1:27).  If Adam hadn’t had the opportunity to choose to do the wrong thing, he really wouldn’t have had the opportunity to choose to do the right thing either.  It is that choice that sets us apart from the animals.  God made it very clear to Adam and Eve what would happen if they ate of the tree – they would die (Gen 2:17).  Adam and Eve weren’t children; they were full-grown adults with highly developed intellects (consider the fact that Adam had the mental capacity to name all of the animals – Gen 2:20).

God gave Adam and Eve, fully responsible adults, the choice to listen to Him and live – or to ignore Him and die.  They chose death.  Eve knew what she was doing was wrong (Gen 3:2-3), as did Adam.  Their situation isn’t the same as your analogy of a gun with an immature child – these were adults.

Furthermore, God prepared beforehand a way back to Him for those who rebelled (Eph 1:5-6).  God allows us to choose, and through the blood of Christ, He allows us to choose to return to Him (1 Pet 2:25).

Why do we worship on Sunday (which is the first day of the week) instead of worshipping on the seventh day of the week (which is the Sabbath), a day that we must keep holy?

Sincerely,
Weekend Wonderer

Dear Weekend Wonderer,

The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews, not for Christians.  The Old Testament has a myriad of laws that are no longer binding in the New Testament: animal sacrifice, clean and unclean foods, and various festivals… just to name a few.  2 Cor 3 is an entire chapter devoted to explaining how the Old Law has been surpassed by the New Law.  2 Cor 3:3 especially clarifies the issue when it states that our law is “not in tables of stone”, a direct reference to the Ten Commandments that were written on stone tablets.

Gal 3:24-25 makes it clear that the Old Law was a tutor to bring mankind to Christ, but now that Christ has come, we are no longer under that tutor.  The Sabbath is a part of that Old Law.  In the New Testament, christians meet on the first day of the week to worship and take the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7).  In short: different covenants, different days.