Let there be Light?

 Let there be Light?

By Richard P. Joseph

12/7/2025

Genesis 3-5 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. [b]So the evening and the morning were the first day.

This article may elicit more questions than answers but that is what this site is all about, so your comments are welcome as usual.  

Since God is eternal, having no beginning and no end, then the word beginning is really aimed at humans.  However, it is the best way us humans can understand eternity.  Jesus claimed to be the “Beginning and the end”, or in other words, he was the Eternal being Himself.  In other words, Jesus was claiming to be God.  But this article is focused on the word “light”.  

During the first day of creation God created light.  On the fourth day God created the sun and stars.  When God created the sun he used the word “divide” when talking about separating the daytime from the nighttime.  But on the first day he divided “light from darkness”.   To confuse the matter even worse, in chapter two of Genesis, God talks about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Trust me, I won’t make any conclusions in this article.  In fact I will put a disclaimer out;  

“This article is for entertainment purposes only!”

Approaching Genesis from a scientific point of view, I thoroughly believe that the days are 24 hours long.  Otherwise none of the created plants and animals would survive.  I absolutely believe that God is speaking of 24 hour days.  But there is somewhat of a conundrum in chapter one.

If the sun and stars were created on day four, how did God create light on day one?  My hypothesis is that God created energy on day one, not necessarily light.  Light is, of course, energy.  I am not an ancient Hebrew scholar but I do not believe there is a word for “energy” in that language.  Thinking of the theories of thermodynamics, it would make sense that energy would be the first thing created along with matter.  So, it is my belief that God created matter and energy on the first day which makes perfect scientific sense.  On day four, God organized that matter into stars and our sun in order to divide the day from the nighttime and to perpetuate the life on earth that he just created.  And now for the confusing part!!!

During this process, God prepared a paradise garden to place man in.  In this garden he planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He also planted the tree of life there.  Someone could argue that the light God created was Good and Evil.  But light doesn’t necessarily mean good, it is really the thing that exposes things.  Jesus called for us to do our deeds in the light because we should never be doing things that we are ashamed of.  Criminals operate in the darkness because they are ashamed of what they are doing.  It is really bad that we are now at the point where people are actually proud of their evil deeds and are now attempting to do them in the open.  That is what the PRIDE movement is all about.  It is a push to force a filthy disgusting lifestyle upon the people.  The bad part of it is that most people fell for it.  God is throwing up.  Light comes from Jesus Christ and when he is around he exposes evil.  That is why the world is so set on eliminating Jesus (The light of the world) from the earth.  But I digress.

I think I really wrote this article just to say that I believe God created “energy” on day one.  Once energy is created, everything else is possible.  

Have a nice day!

My Big Buck and my Dresser Drawer

 My Big Buck and my Dresser Drawer

By Richard P. Joseph

11/6/2025

I am a pretty decent turkey hunter but not so good when it comes to deer.  As an adult I had to teach myself to hunt turkey and deer as I had no mentor as a child.  I Had good luck most turkey seasons but only bagged a few does when it comes to deer, but this year is going better.  I shot my first buck and it was a dandy.  I am still trying to figure out how to mount my 9 point rack.

As if the rack isn’t impressive enough, you should see the sutures.  

All of us have sutures in our skulls.  It is the area between two bones.  As we grow there are soft spots in our skull bones to allow bone growth.  When we become mature our bones ossify and we are left with an odd and curious design.  This design resembles my dresser drawers.

As you can see, the woodworker used what we call dovetail joints.  So what am I getting at?  If the woodworker simply glued my drawers together they would have fallen apart in short order due to the stress on the joints, therefore the dovetail is used which allows the dresser to last for decades and sometimes centuries.  If a buck had two skull bones joined by a straight line, the skull would crack open upon the first rut.  As it is, the sutures in the skull of a deer are vital to its survival.  So my question is; How did evolution think of this design?  Or better yet how is it that scientists can look at this impressive intelligent masterpiece and come up with the idea that “it just happened that way”?  This article is simple and to the point.  No theological degree necessary.  We have been gaslighted for years now and only a few people ever stop and wonder why what we are seeing never matches what they are telling us.  The dovetail design of the deer skull is a beautiful display of an intelligent designer.  I could go on forever describing body organs, cells, molecules etcetera but hopefully you get the point.  These things were created by God and to say anything different is blatant ignorance.  Moses was not making some story up about God creating the heavens and the earth, he really meant it.  And it is obvious.  If I could encourage my readers of one thing, this would be it; never compromise scripture for what some liar tells you.  Don’t be ashamed to say that God indeed created the heavens and the earth and he did it in six literal days.  God does not need millions of years to do a miracle, he only needs a second.  So my advice is see and believe.  Do not doubt.  Have faith in God and in his son Jesus Christ.  No need to compromise on anything.

Amen.

Restoring the Kingdom

 Restoring the Kingdom

By Richard P. Joseph

10/30/2025

The book of Acts is invaluable to understanding the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament.  It also has many enigmas, especially to those that reject this transition.  In the first chapter, Luke continues his account that he is writing for someone named Theophilus.  Luke’s writing appears to be written to, perhaps, a lawyer that might be involved in Paul’s defense as he was preparing to face court in Rome.   I would like to look at the interesting context of the first half of chapter 1.  

In Acts 1:3 Luke tells us that Jesus, after his resurrection, began teaching the disciples things about the kingdom of God.  

Acts 1:3

  to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many [b]infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Take note that he is teaching them about the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of Israel.  This is important.  He then tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit that was promised from the Father.  

He then compares the gift of the Father to the gift that John the Baptist brought.  One was of water and one was of Spirit.  

Acts 1:5

 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The water represents the physical kingdom and the Spirit represents a Spiritual kingdom.   So we see so far Jesus is teaching them of the Kingdom of God which is going to be a Spiritual Kingdom.  

Now here comes the kicker; The disciples then ask him if he is now going to restore the kingdom to Israel.  

Acts 1:6-8

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

At this point, after living with Jesus for 3 ½ years, they still don’t have a clue, but this is actually a good thing.  None of the disciples actually lived long enough to see the full second coming of Christ and the new kingdom being consummated.  

It appears that every time that the disciples asked Jesus for exact dates or specifics about the kingdom, they only got parables or vague answers.  There must have been a reason for it.  I don’t believe that they, at that early point, could really comprehend that Judaism was ending and that the everlasting kingdom would not be one about land or kings or armies but one that was spiritual in nature.  One that transcends all borders and thrones and spears.  One that has no earthly king but only a spiritual king in heaven.  That is one reason that I believe that the second century Christian did not readily understand that the kingdom had indeed come but not to their understanding.  Looking at the verse above, Jesus is giving them a hint.  They were still focused on Israel but Jesus tells them that Jerusalem is only the beginning.  He said that they would be witnesses of him starting in Jerusalem but then moving outward even unto the ends of the earth.  Jesus wasn’t focused on Israel because that gig was up.   We, today, have the real advantage.  We can look at fulfilled history and clearly see what happened.  This is something that Muhamed couldn’t see either.  He came along in the seventh century and still thought it was about land and blood and rules.  He was acting upon the common physical ways of those days never realizing that all of that was obsolete.  The Rabbis did the same thing.  That is why Islam and Rabbinical Judaism is still a type of caveman religion.  This is also why Catholics still cling to physical types of worship and hierarchy.  Once someone understands fulfilled theology, they are really set free.  They have left the physical groping for religion and have entered a free and wonderful existence.  The hardships of religion and formality have been shed and we are free to move and run unhindered and unshackled.  Like the Apostle Paul told us, not to be sucked into senseless arguments about genealogies and things of the law.  We are free now because Jesus has become the fulfilment of the law for us.  

Titus 3:9

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

So, in the end, the kingdom was restored, not to Israel, but to God and him alone. 

Faith

 Faith

By Richard P. Joseph

10/19/2025

Ephesians 2   8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The above verse is one of the most controversial verses in all of scripture and I can’t figure out why.  In fact, this issue had much to do with Martin Luther splitting from the Catholic church.  I am assuming that the real problem is that most people really don't know what faith means.  So, hopefully, after reading this article the centuries old argument will be solved; finally!

I looked “faith” up in Strong’s concordance and it didn’t help much so I did the next best thing; I looked it up in the bible.  Imagine that.  One of the easiest verses to start with is Ephesians 2:8-10.  In these verses the Apostle Paul is telling us that “works” do not save us but it is actually “grace” that saved us through the “faith” that God gave us.  However, in the next verse he tells us that we are God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus for “good works”, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.   Are you confused yet?  Before I boil this down, let’s take a look at what James (the brother of Jesus) said about faith.  

James 1:22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 

James 2:14-18

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

So, the argument starts as you hear many protestant preachers say “All you need is faith to be saved” and then you get the Catholics who say “You must also have works to be saved”.  The problem is that those that can’t seem to figure this out have never stopped and defined faith.  I do have to admit that I did hear a preacher once say that “Faith is an action word”.  That actually solves the entire issue.  If you read the epistle of James you will quickly see that Faith is indeed a verb.  Faith is not faith unless there is an act associated with it.  The book of Hebrews describes this well.  Here is one verse.  

Hebrews 11:7

  7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Noah believed God but that wasn’t faith.  When Noah started building the ark, that was faith.  This is really a physics lesson.  James also says that:

James 2:20 

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [h]dead?

This is the same as describing potential energy with kinetic energy.  A dead log has potential energy (belief) stored up inside of it.  This log is really accomplishing nothing useful just sitting there.  However, if I put a match to it and release the potential energy  (belief) and the log begins to burn, this potential energy now becomes kinetic energy (faith).    In other words, if there is no action taken, there is no faith.  When the bible talks about Abraham believing God and it was counted to him as righteousness, it is because Abraham not only believed God, he took action on that belief.  So James is correct, faith without works is dead, or in other words belief without action is not faith.  James is simply defining what faith is.  So, unless you plan on taking action on your belief then do not call it faith.  If you say you believe in God but never lifted a finger to honor him by your actions then maybe you should re-evaluate your stance.  That is why James talks about actually feeding your starving neighbor instead of just saying that I will pray for you.  He is talking about the helpless people, not the lazy people.  If you say you are a Christian you are saying that you act upon your belief, not just talk about it.  Jesus, many times, told those that he healed that it was their faith that healed them.  For example, the woman that had an issue of blood for 12 years could have just stood there and done nothing even though she believed that Jesus could heal her but she didn’t.  She forced her way through a massive crowd and dove at Jesus’ feet and touched the hem of his garment.  That movement was faith.  So in the end there really is no argument at all.  You can believe in God but in order to be saved you must make a move.  Once you move then God can heal you.  That is how you are saved by faith.  The works part of it is inside the word faith.  You can do a bunch of worldly works which can’t save anybody but you can do the works of faith which can move mountains.

Jesus Revealed

 Jesus Revealed

By Richard P. Joseph

10/8/2025

David Jeremiah just wrote a book for the next generation, I’m guessing because those that read the 1990’s Left Behind books never saw it fulfilled!  In other words,  they keep predicting the second coming of Christ but it, for some odd reason, never seems to happen so they keep writing more books and movies and sermons predicting the second coming is right around the corner.  I am certainly in the wrong business if I want to make a lot of money.  The futurist doctrine of the second coming is nothing but a big pot of gold for those promoting it.  I am trying to go through Revelation again, not to make money, but real slow this time, to glean the truth from it.  

So what should I expect by going through the book of Revelation real slowly?  I’m really not sure but perhaps I can pick up on clues that the untrained eye never sees.  But let’s be honest, those that completely understood the book of Revelation were those that lived through it in the first century.  I do not believe we will ever completely understand all of it, that is unless new material is uncovered but that is not likely.  So let’s take a look at a few things I am getting from the first chapter.  

John wrote the book of Revelation to the seven churches which were in Asia Minor.  My first question is: Why was it written to churches way up in Turkey and not in Jerusalem?  One reason might go something like this (which I have heard a couple different scholars expound upon);  Since Paul was imprisoned from 60 to, at least 62, and couldn’t visit those churches, John may have taken on the mantle until Paul was available again.  But John got arrested and was sent to Patmos, which was a prison Island close to those churches.  Along with that, as you read through the book of Acts you will discover that, at the beginning, just after Pentecost,  nearly all of the missionary activity was in Jerusalem.  However, when Stephen was martyred by the authority of Saul, the Church began to spread outward into the Roman empire.  As you near the end of Acts you find that most of the activity is now outside of Jerusalem.  So those seven churches were a hotbed of Christian activity at that time which was around 62-63 AD when John wrote the letter.   The second reason John wrote it to them is a reason that most pastors just can’t wrap their minds around and that is, it was relevant to those in the first century.  It was written to “them” because it was them that were to be affected by it, not us. Obviously, the church at Jerusalem also read it too.  Why people are still waiting for Jesus to be revealed when John wrote an entire book revealing Jesus to us is beyond me.  Of course we all want to see Jesus in heaven with our own eyes but that is not the revelation, what John saw was the revelation.  Just read it and you will know!

The book of Revelation was the announcement that the Parousia was beginning.  Revelation is a book of coded numbers.  It uses several different coded numbers but let’s just look at the number seven right now.  There was a seven year period of activity that was split in two sections, there were seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, seven spirits, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven thunders, seven thousand killed and a seven headed monster.   These are not necessarily written in chronological order but rather they are layers of the same thing.  The number seven is a number of fulfillment just like when the earth was created in six days and God rested on the seventh day indicating that all was fulfilled.  John now doubles down on the fulfilment scenario by introducing a new order of priests being that the old order would pass away in the next seven years.

Revelation 1:6

 6 and has made us [c]kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Peter, probably after reading Revelation himself, repeated this observation.

1 Peter 2:5

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

This may sound nice to us today but placing yourself back in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, you would be stoned for blasphemy.  In the old order, only Levites could become priests.  In the new order each man is the priest of his household and Jesus, who is from the tribe of Judah, is the High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.    

Basically, what I am saying is that the book of Revelation is a book showing completion and transition.  One other note I would like to make is a true story I had recently.  I may have mentioned this before but it is worth mentioning again.  I told a friend about the preterist view and she had a friend that had multiple seminary degrees.  He met me and I asked him to explain to me what the words soon and near meant.  I asked that because in the first few verses of Revelation it uses those words as time stamps of the prophecy fulfilment.  The scholar first asked me what bible degrees I had.  I told him none, only a science degree.  He then, in a very condescending manner, told me that I had no right to challenge him from my uneducated point.  He said the answer is too complicated to just explain in a short meeting.  On one hand I can understand what he was saying as there are many times that I try to explain to someone deep things of scripture but they do not even have a basic understanding of scripture so I sound like I am speaking a foreign language to them.  But I am not that uneducated and all he had to do was explain what soon and near meant.  The truth is that for him to explain what soon and near meant he would have to do what we call high level linguistic gymnastics.  That is a nice way of saying that he had to make up a bunch of nonsensical theology in order to evade the simple definition.  Using Occum’s razor, I will stick with the straight forward uneducated answer.  In other words, John and Jesus were not liars and Jesus did return exactly when he said he would.  No gymnastics necessary.  We will look at the number seven later in other articles so stay tuned.

A Legacy Worth Remembering

 A legacy worth remembering

By Richard P. Joseph

9/13/2025

Kirk, or in Scotland, a “church”.  Well, maybe in America too.  Charlie Kirk was a walking, breathing church.  It was perhaps the most effective church I have witnessed in my life thus far.  While Billy Graham brought thousands to Christ, Charlie Kirk explained to the masses why it is logical to follow Jesus Christ.  And just as Jesus was martyred at 33 years of age, Charlie followed at the age of 31, and it is a legacy worth remembering!

While Charlie’s assassin heard voices, so did Charlie.  The assassin heard the voices of liberal leaders, politicians, rabble rousers, sexual perverts and other deranged sociopaths, all of whom are spiritually bankrupt and therefore mentally deranged.  This assassin, like many other recent cowards, obeyed those voices and acted upon it sealing his place in hell.  As I have mentioned many times before, liberals only destroy and tear down, they have no mechanism to build up.  On the other hand, Charlie obeyed the voices that he heard too resulting in young people becoming alive and vibrant, ready to build and create a future of progress and peace, strength and stability, family and hope.  In John chapter 10 Jesus talks about us hearing voices:

 1“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.   

Charlie Kirk heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and obeyed, giving life and hope to thousands.  Satan, the assassin, heard the voices of hirelings and caused carnage and destruction.  This is what the left does.  That is why they are here, to cause chaos, they serve no other purpose.    

Matthew 10:27-31   Jesus tells his disciples to bring out in the open the secret things that he is telling them and Charlie again obeyed.

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

While Charlie was shouting from the housetops the blessings of God, a left wing coward, doing what his leaders told him to do, took Charlie’s life.  

Again, Satan thought he won.  Satan himself is a condemned being but his followers keep on going as if he is somehow still going to win.  The assassin in this instance is his own Satan.  While shock waves reverberated around the globe, and sadness has filled our hearts, Jesus won again.  This type of action only reinforces the love of God and it will send more people out of Satan’s camp.  Charlie understood that there are some that can kill the body but not the soul.  Charlie’s soul is safe and more souls will be won by this cowardly act.  Even Charlie’s wife, Erika, has set her resolve to expand what Charlie has started.  Again the only people that win are the Christians.  We always win.  We never lose.  It is etched in stone and set on the Rock.  So who are you going to listen to?

If this article somehow falls into the hands of someone who is confused about all of this, I invite you to find resolve and clarity in the house of God.  Hearing the wrong voices has consequences and it won’t be nice.  Hearing the voice of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, also has consequences such as peace of mind, wholeness of body, clarity of life, love of others, fruitful living and the ability to build instead of destroy.  Let him who has ears to hear, hear.  “Let’s Roll”