Light Without Excuse

Matt Miles • March 19, 2018

Last month we had examined the verse from Romans 1:20 which states two invisible qualities of our Lord are clearly seen from things created at the beginning. I wrote of our existence having been created and modeled after our Creator’s divine nature. This month let’s examine the other quality, eternal power,   shown to us so, as the Apostle Paul states, “men are without excuse.”

On day one of history, following the creation of our existence of space, mass and time, the Lord created “light.” When we were young, many of us pictured the greatest light we know, the Sun, as this created light of day 1. Yet close examination of the text reveals that assumption to be incorrect. The Sun was not created until day 4 as the “greater light.” So, if this light is not the Sun, then we must look to the Word of God for clues of interpretation.

This light is the first light, or power, shown in creation. It is a dividing entity with distinction from darkness. Within creation, our understanding of energy, power or light is just such an entity. Light is a powerful element which impacts our daily lives, many times without recognition. Our understanding of light is shown in the electromagnetic spectrum by it’s many measurable wavelengths. On one end of the spectrum are the longer light waves, waves used daily as we listen to our favorite radio station. Next come those light waves that help us communicate on our cell phones and cook our food – microwaves. A tad shorter light wave is used to operate our remote devices, no longer with the aid of our children’s legs. Since all of our televisions have remote controls utilizing light waves created on day 1, there is no need to have our kids run across the room and manually turn a dial. Can I get an “Amen”?! Then there is a portion of the light spectrum that our eyes utilize every waking moment – visual light. These light waves range in length from longer red to shorter violet and include every other wavelength in between, making all the visual colors we see. The light waves just shorter than our vision’s ability to see, known as UV light, impact our daily lives as well in the effect we feel in heat and the burning of our skin by the sun. Shorter still, other light waves created on day 1 have been discovered and mastered in MRI examination machines. These light waves are short enough to pass through certain matter and return an image that we use to diagnose cancer and other ailments. The shortest light waves created (that we understand now) give us power and, quite possibly, deter another world war – gamma light waves. When we hear “gamma waves”, we often think first of the Hulk, yet in reality we utilize them daily in our power grid and nuclear powered military (submarines, carriers, warheads, etc.).

The Lord created “light” on day 1, and I see Romans 1 connecting His eternal power to this element. Throughout scripture the Lord is described as light or in connection with light. Satan, in contradistinction, “disguises” himself as an “angel of light”, attempting to be what he IS NOT. It becomes clearly seen that day 1 light is a manifestation of the Lord’s eternal power and Glory. When He spoke light into existence, He made a distinction between light and dark that only He controls and governs. In eternity we will see this power and Glory in perfection again as John records in Revelation 22:5, “ …They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light… ”. I believe Day 1 light was very much His eternal power touching every aspect of existence and providing a building block for many things still to be created in the following days of that first week. The Lord’s light is eternal and right, with a promise to place that power within each believer. We are not of the dark, but of the light.

We here at CTF praise the Lord for His mighty eternal power that we can clearly see from things He made at the beginning. As we travel proclaiming these truths, it is forever exhilarating to see God’s Word come alive in new ways to a believer for the first time in their life. A pastor recently expressed to me the impact the truth I’ve shared in this article has had on his life. He has been in ministry many years and had never made those connections concerning light. This ministry is filling a vital role in sharing the Lord’s Word in a culture that deeply needs His Light. Thank you for your faithful support each and every month.

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lined up books
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Over the course of time a person can accumulate many things. Most of the stuff we collect is meaningless to most everyone else, but when a person collects books, they can be treasured for a lifetime and even beyond. In this age of digital media, physical books seem to be less important to many people. Digital books are searchable, and copy/paste functions make it easy to use those great quotes. Yet, there is still something great about a physical book, things you can’t get digitally: the turning of pages, the feel of it in your hand, and the “book” smell. For our founder Dr. Sharp, physical books could never be replaced by digital. While my collection of books is growing each year, it is dwarfed by Dr. Sharp’s collection. Over the years he collected thousands of titles for research and enjoyment. Through the course of his ministry he had to sell his book collection a couple of different times to support his family, only to start collecting again when he was able to do so. When Doc passed his office full of packed bookshelves to me and said he would clear the shelves, I laughed out loud at the prospect of having loads of empty bookshelves. So I urged him to instead leave his books for my, and anyone else’s, use. Little did I understand that the four bookcases in my office were only a fraction of his entire collection. A couple of years back when Doc moved from his house, it was decided that his book collection would be stored at the office. Our thought was to establish a library, yet none of us had time to plan, organize and catalog all 79 boxes of books. They sat piled in his office until last year when my daughter Megan joined our ministry. She has a love of books, both reading and writing. So we offered her the task of cataloging and establishing Doc’s library. Can you picture me, a bbq lover, being offered a table full of succulent smoked offerings - brisket, sausage, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey and all sides? Yep, that was Megan’s response to the library. For over four months she cataloged and organized the entire collection. The Dr. G. Thomas Sharp Library was completed earlier this year in his old office space, with overflow into my office. The entire 2700+ volume agglomeration is digitally cataloged for searching and locating. As you might expect, there is an extensive collection of creation and evolution subject matter, yet the library is full of many different categories. It very much reflects Doc’s love of gaining knowledge and research. An extensive commentary collection and multiple Biblical reference sections are invaluable to our ministry. There is even a whole bookcase housing books that are over 100 years old. Our desire was not to just house books but to also make a place of honor and inspiration. One wall exhibits Doc’s many diplomas, and throughout the library we have placed personal memorabilia of the mission trips he took over the years. Come, grab a book, relax in the sitting area and allow Doc’s handwritten notes from the margins or post-it notes bring a smile to your face. For those who may be more ambitious, Doc's office chair resides at the credenza for anyone to sit and be inspired to study. This is a place to honor Doc’s life and love for books. We at CTF have already utilized this great resource for further study, and we are so thankful to Diane and their family for donating these books for continued Kingdom growth. Blessings.
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