Moved by Mount St. Helens
Matt Miles • October 27, 2021
It has long been argued in evolutionary circles, as well as in old earth creation, that geological timeframe is measured in millions and billions of years through gradual processes we observe today, also known as uniformitarianism. But then something happened in1980, and the evolutionary understanding began to shift from uniformitarianism to catastrophism. For years Dr. Sharp has taught about the 1980 Mount St. Helens’ eruption and the impact it has had on the geological timeframe. Personally, one of the more impactful presentations in my life was Doc’s “Thousand Years in a Day.”
Bob and I finally had the opportunity to experience Mount St. Helens for ourselves. A few weeks ago, while in Vancouver, WA, we had a couple of days to venture north and east to the famous mountain. All I can say to begin with is WOW! All these years of learning, teaching, and presenting about the eruption events fractionally prepared me for the area, but it did nothing for the magnitude of it all. Mount St. Helens is a large mountain, as many have described, but it is very hard to convey properly. Being there is an awe-inspiring experience, especially when teamed with the knowledge of the 1980 event. There are still remnants of the forest that was laid down for miles in a matter of seconds. There are still large log mats in Spirit Lake, over 40 years later. Everywhere I looked the evidence is there from the eruptions.
But still, if there were no signs or visitors’ center, one might not understand how recently the area had been impacted. There are many areas where trees have recovered or been seeded. A great amount of wildlife inhabit the area around the mountain. It is quite a beautiful place to visit and spend a couple of days hiking and exploring.
2 Peter 3:3-9 kept resonating in my mind, “But they deliberately forget…the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.”
Mount St. Helens is such a powerful reminder, yet minuscule in scope, of the globally devastating judgement against sin during the Flood. The Flood was the most devastating disaster that we could ever comprehend. The earth still shows evidence of it, but many are blind to it. The Lord also reminded me over and over again those days on the mountain that He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him today, just as He was to Noah. There is salvation for those who honor the all-powerful Lord that holds fire in reserve for the final judgement against sin. As I kept looking up at the mountain top with the large section that is no longer present on Mount St. Helens, all I could do was respond by LOOKING UP and praising Him for His faithful Word and eternal salvation. Blessings.
NEW VBS FOR 2026 Celebrating America 250
Summer of 2025 is two-thirds finished. We have taught at 7 different camp weeks along with 6 VBSes. Ryan and I have had a busy summer for the Kingdom. Our travels have stretched from Ohio to Colorado and all points in between. We have taught in churches and connected with many supporters and friends. This summer, as usual, ministry has taken us away from family for periods, but there has been great returns for the sacrifice - more than fifteen souls have been added to God’s eternal Kingdom and even more seeds planted with life-changing fruit produced, from the young to old. Again and again we encounter students that are fired up with a passion for knowledge of the Word of God. As these students have found answers to questions or faith-challenging issues, they are better equipped to share their faith. This summer we have had the opportunity to reconnect with many students whom we taught at a younger age. Now they are in their teens or heading to college. Their testimonies of strengthened faith because of the mission God has called us to is more than rewarding. It never gets old to meet grandparents, or even great-grandparents, during VBS that have lived their lives as followers of Christ yet have never seen the impact of Genesis to the Gospel. Just yesterday this happened with a grandmother who was overjoyed and appreciative of our teaching and message. Knowing more about dinosaurs Biblically allows for them to have new lines of communication with their cherished grandkids. Our ability to give these great warriors of the faith answers that can impact their families for eternity is priceless to us. Please continue to lift us up in prayer as our summer is not over yet. As always, know that your support is making an impact for the Kingdom that we are eternally grateful for. If you are thinking about having us come next summer, don’t hesitate to contact us as summers fill quicker than the rest of the year. Summer has and will continue to be a crazy busy time for Kingdom work. Blessings.