A reconstruction of Archaeopteryx,
with the oral papillae on the roof of its mouth and a highly mobile tongue
visible. (Image credit: Illustration by Ville Sinkkonen.
Archaeopteryx
has been hailed by many evolutionists to be a transitional form between
dinosaurs and birds, but the debate over whether it is a missing link has not
been settled in the minds of everyone in the scientific community, even amongst
evolutionists, because it is far too much like a bird to be considered
transitional which is why creationists who take the Genesis account of origins
as actual history regard the specimen as being nothing more than just a bird that
was created to reproduce after its own kind, like all other forms of life (Gen.
1:11, 21-25)
Even
Live Science, the publication reporting on the latest revelations
concerning the specimen does not believe Archaeopteryx to be a direct ancestor
of birds and the latest revelations concerning the specimen might make it even
more clear that Archaeopteryx is just an extinct bird.
The
item reported that upon further analysis, “researchers…identified
"weird" soft tissue traces interpreted as oral papillae — small,
tooth-like projections on the roof of the mouth” and "’unusual’ openings near the tip of
Archaeopteryx's jaw that suggest a nerve-rich structure and may represent an
early analogue of what is known as a bill-tip organ in modern birds.” [1]
These
are features not found in any known dinosaur but found only in birds but in
spite of Archaeopteryx appearing to be a bird in every sense, many evolutionists
are not ready to concede that it may not be the missing link between birds and
dinosaurs that they have propagated it to be because to concede defeat would
mean a victory for the case for creationism and a defeat for the theory of
evolution and even if they were forced to concede that Archaeopteryx may not be
the missing link that they have been looking for, they will still continue to
hold out hope that an undisputed missing link will be found to vindicate their respective
faith and discredit theistic faith; the Christian faith in particular and the
reason for this is because they cannot stand the prospect that there is a God
to whom all life owes its existence,
who is actively involved in the affairs of men,
who is the creator and definer of our reality,
who is the sole decider of what is good and evil, right or wrong,
who is our supreme moral lawgiver,
and before whom we must one day stand and give an account for how we lived our lives.
They
don’t want to submit to His authority but would rather live their lives as they
please and without regard to the consequences of their actions or how the
people around them are affected by the decisions they make or how they conduct
themselves and though their Creator continues to offer mercy and forgiveness to
them if they will but turn from their wicked ways and resolve to do those
things that are right and pleasing in His eyes, they persist in their unrepentance
because they take pleasure in those things that are evil in the eyes of God
rather than what is good in the eyes of our Creator and those things that are
evil and sinful in the eyes of our Creator are not what God intended to be a
part of what He created in the first place.
When
God created the world, He created it to be a place of goodness, joy, peace
contentment, and happiness and in that world, there had existed a perfect
harmony between God, man, and nature.
There was no death, there was no decay, there was no suffering nor anything
in the world to cause pain and suffering until the day that a fateful and
astronomically consequential transgression had been committed by the first man
Adam and the first woman Eve from whom all of humanity descend.
Before
the committing of that transgression that changed the world from the good place
that God made it to be into the its presently fallen and decaying state, Adam
and Eve enjoyed a life more carefree and more perfect than any of us could have
ever imagined but they were forbidden one thing and that was a fruit from a
certain tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, having been
warned of God that in the day that they ate thereof, they would surely die.
(Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3)
But
when they committed that fateful act, it was then that the world fell into the
fallen decaying state that it is in now and in which death and suffering abound
beginning with them when, upon the eating of that forbidden fruit, sin entered
into them and when sin entered into them, the sentence of death came upon them
just as they had been warned (Gen. 3:19) and from them, the sin which entered
into them and brought about their eventual deaths, was also passed down to all
of mankind for all of us are descendants of that first man and that first woman
and because we are their descendants, we have also inherited the sin that
entered into them (Rom. 5:12) and because of that sin which we have inherited,
we all sin in some form or fashion and as a consequence we all die for as it is
written, the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) but sin is not merely confined to
outward behavior or performance or even the words we speak, but it is rather
the inherent inward corruption of our very nature defiling our thoughts,
hardening and darkening our hearts, and corrupting our very motives which is
why it is written that we are not defiled from that which comes from without,
but that which comes from within (Mt. 15:11, 18-20) and which is why it is
written that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23)
which demands of us nothing less than moral perfection and not just in our
outward acts but also in our inward as well which is why it is impossible by
our own efforts and our own goodness to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, for
sin taints, corrupts, defiles, twists, and distorts more than we can comprehend
and the effects of sin are not merely confined to mankind, but all of creation
is subjected to a curse because of sin which is why it is written that the
entire creation groans and travails in pain to this day. (Rom. 8:19-22)
But
eventually, all of the death, sin, decay, suffering, pain, and evil that
entered into the world by one fateful act of disobedience will be done away
with and in place of this present world, a new and better world will be created
in which there will be no sin, no death, no evil, and no suffering. It will be the world that God had intended our
world to be in the first place, (Rev. 21-22) but that will require the
elimination of all who persist in their unrepentant, sinful, and evil ways
because they cannot be members of the Kingdom of God and they will be unfit to
dwell in the new and better world to come because if they would set themselves
at enmity against their Maker now presently, they will continue to do so in His
Kingdom and besides, the pervasiveness of sin is beyond comprehension. Its power and ability to corrupt, twist, pervert,
and eventually destroy all that it touches is beyond anything that we can
possibly comprehend and it is due to this pervasiveness that we are estranged
and separated from our Creator because that which is perfectly good, holy, and
sinless cannot allow that which is tainted by or given over to sin to dwell in
its presence lest the Kingdom of Heaven be defiled just as the earth itself has
been defiled and since sin dwells in each and every one of us, without a means
of redemption and cleansing of sin, the elimination of sin would require our
elimination as well; such is the severity of our condition before Almighty God,
but because God is good and because He is merciful and because He would rather
demonstrate love and goodness than resort to punishment, He is not willing that
any should perish and be eternally damned, but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9)
and therefore has done for us what we could never do for ourselves in that He, in His graciousness has purchased redemption on our behalf in Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son, (Jn. 3:16) who came to us in the flesh, (Jn. 1:14) and being without any sin (2 Cor. 5:21) was made that perfect sacrifice (Heb. 7:26-27) that was needed to take away the sins of the world and because of His perfect goodness, He was able to offer Himself up on our behalf to satisfy the demanded penalty for all sin and granting mercy and grace through the shedding of His blood on the cross and after having died, rose again from the dead three days later that we might be justified in Him (Rom. 4:25) if we will but call upon His name so that we might be saved from what would otherwise be a terrifying everlasting punishment if we will but call upon His name (Rom. 10:9, 13) and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9) for it is by calling upon His name in sincere repentance that salvation is granted and our souls made clean from sin thereby liberating us from the threat of eternal damnation and with that cleansing comes a new spiritual transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) that causes us to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven,
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty who is the source of all truth, (Jn. 14:6)
no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God, (Mt. 6:25-33)
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, (Jas. 1:5) nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
And it is this new inward transformation that reconciles us to our Creator (2 Cor. 5:18) from whom we had once been estranged and just as our souls are cleansed from sin and our spirits regenerated in Christ Jesus thereby liberating us from the eternal tormenting punishment that must come upon all who remain in their sins, so one day we look forward to the liberation of our bodies from death itself when our mortal and corruptible forms are transformed into that which is immortal and incorruptible and from that which is imperfect to that which is perfect (1 Cor. 15:51-55, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) and lastly, creation itself will be delivered from the curse placed upon it because of sin when it is made into a new and better world. (Rev. 21-22)
What
will you choose reader? Will you choose to submit to the authority of your
Creator and take pleasure in doing the things that are good, honorable, and
pleasing in His eyes, or will you persist in taking pleasure in the things that
are evil in His sight? If you desire the
mercy and forgiveness of sins that God offers and if you desire to do that
which is good and pleasing in the eyes of our Creator, then I urge you reader, if
you have not done so already, to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus for the
forgiveness of sins. Redemption is but a
simple sincere prayer of repentance away:
"Lord
Jesus I need you.
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen."
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
End
notes:
who is actively involved in the affairs of men,
who is the creator and definer of our reality,
who is the sole decider of what is good and evil, right or wrong,
who is our supreme moral lawgiver,
and before whom we must one day stand and give an account for how we lived our lives.
and therefore has done for us what we could never do for ourselves in that He, in His graciousness has purchased redemption on our behalf in Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son, (Jn. 3:16) who came to us in the flesh, (Jn. 1:14) and being without any sin (2 Cor. 5:21) was made that perfect sacrifice (Heb. 7:26-27) that was needed to take away the sins of the world and because of His perfect goodness, He was able to offer Himself up on our behalf to satisfy the demanded penalty for all sin and granting mercy and grace through the shedding of His blood on the cross and after having died, rose again from the dead three days later that we might be justified in Him (Rom. 4:25) if we will but call upon His name so that we might be saved from what would otherwise be a terrifying everlasting punishment if we will but call upon His name (Rom. 10:9, 13) and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9) for it is by calling upon His name in sincere repentance that salvation is granted and our souls made clean from sin thereby liberating us from the threat of eternal damnation and with that cleansing comes a new spiritual transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) that causes us to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven,
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty who is the source of all truth, (Jn. 14:6)
no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God, (Mt. 6:25-33)
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, (Jas. 1:5) nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
And it is this new inward transformation that reconciles us to our Creator (2 Cor. 5:18) from whom we had once been estranged and just as our souls are cleansed from sin and our spirits regenerated in Christ Jesus thereby liberating us from the eternal tormenting punishment that must come upon all who remain in their sins, so one day we look forward to the liberation of our bodies from death itself when our mortal and corruptible forms are transformed into that which is immortal and incorruptible and from that which is imperfect to that which is perfect (1 Cor. 15:51-55, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) and lastly, creation itself will be delivered from the curse placed upon it because of sin when it is made into a new and better world. (Rev. 21-22)
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen."
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
1. Aristos Georgiou, “Archaeopteryx, one of the
world's first proto birds, has a set of weird, never-before-seen features, new
study reveals,” Live Science, February 13, 2026
https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/archaeopteryx-one-of-the-worlds-first-proto-birds-has-a-set-of-weird-never-before-seen-features-new-study-reveals
https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/archaeopteryx-one-of-the-worlds-first-proto-birds-has-a-set-of-weird-never-before-seen-features-new-study-reveals
4. Romans 5:12
5. Romans 6:23
6. Matthew 15:11, 18-20
7. Romans 3:23
8. Romans 8:19-22
12. John 1:14
13. 2 Corinthians 5:21
14. Hebrews 7:26-27
15. Romans 4:25
16. Romans 10:9, 13
17. 2 Corinthians 5:17
18. John 14:6
20. Matthew 10:28
21. James 1:5
22. 2 Corinthians 5:18
23. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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