The President's Address on 1 April 2026

Yesterday evening President Trump addressed the American people regarding Operation Epic Fury and the prospects for an end to the conflict with Iran.  Before we begin a discussion about Operation Epic Fury, let me say that, with certain qualifications, we should support what the US and Isreal are trying to achieve by this undeclared war in the Middle East.  It is in our best interest, Israel’s best interest – and the best interest of the entire world. 

President Trump's speech outlined the successful achievement of our well defined military objectives.  It is truly amazing that we have dismantled a regional economic and military power in such a short time with so few American casualties. It would be remiss, however, not to point out that Israel's contribution to the military effort has resulted in constant arial attacks from Iran.  We should recognize the courage that they have shown.  They have known from the start that their home land would be attacked and that their casualties would be far greater than ours. 

With full recognition and gratitude for the excellent performance of our armed forces, it is necessary to emphasize that the achievement of the military objectives is a measure of success, but they do not constitute victory. We are grateful for the success that has been achieved, and we pray for the safety of our military personnel. We are hoping sincerely that these military successes will compel the Iranians come to the negotiating table in good faith and agree to our conditions for a ceasefire. 

Whether victory is achieved by further military action or by negotiations, it will remain elusive if we prematurely abandon our efforts to reach a long-term solution that will make sure Iran will no longer be a threat to the peace and safety of other nations.  Victory will be ours when Iran is no longer able or willing to continue to fight.  Anything less will only “kick the can down the road.”  There is no other alternative that will provide lasting peace. 

Therefore, victory must include an agreement in which Iran will:

1. Promise free, fair and internationally supervised elections that will give the Iranian people a representative government, and which will result the peaceful transition of power from the radical Islamic theocracy, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC), to the new elected government.

2. Iran must agree to abandon its efforts to get nuclear weapons. We must be able to remove the enriched uranium that is still in Iran, and we must remove the Iranians ability continue enriching uranium … including the centrifuges and nuclear power plants they need to produce it.

3. Iran must agree to stop sponsoring terrorism around the world, and stop funding arming, training, and providing advisors to terrorist proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

4. They must stop persecuting political opponents and other religions. Women must be treated fairly and with kindness and respect.

5. Iran must obey international law by permitting the free use of the international waterway through the Strait of Hormuz.

6. They must agree to unannounced inspections to ensure the world that these conditions have been met.

 

Given the realities of modern warfare, the President of the United State must have the authority to use military force to respond immediately if the USA is attacked.  With greatest respect for President Trump, Operation Epic Fury has demonstrated the need to get congressional approval if time permits, before the President commits American forces to military operations.  It is understandable that President Trump was faced with a Congress that might not approve the use of military force in Iran.  He is faced by opponents whose hatred of him clouds their judgement, and who oppose his every action simply because he is the one doing it.  We also understand that certain members of Congress pose a risk because they may leak classified material to the press or to foreign adversaries. 

Nevertheless, by acting without Congressional approval, the President provided the opposition with the means to sway popular opinion against him and Operation Epic  Fury. The public is easily led by the constant harangue that the war is illegal and unjust from Democratic legislators and the liberal news media.  Congressional approval to use military force might have been a lever to use in the negotiations that preceded the conflict.  The element of surprise may have been preserved by couching the approval in general terms – without specifying times, dates, methods, or points of attack 

President Trump has not violated the War Powers Act.  Not obtaining congressional approval has, however, placed a 60 day time limit on the hostilities, after which they stop if approval from Congress is withheld.  If the President choses to violate that limit, Congress may try to impeach him and/or cut off funding for the war. 

The 60 day limit also gives the Ayatollahs who are left standing a goal to strive for.  They may believe that if they can hold on to power for a few more weeks – they win.  That is America will go away without any lasting arrangements that allow the achievement of our goals.  In the Islamic world, if they are killed in this attempt they become martyrs who receive special rewards in heaven.  If they stand up to the West in a conflict, and they survive, they are heroes, even if they lose militarily. 

In short, America is a constitutional republic.  That means we need to try to have consensus before we act. 

Pray that Iran will capitulate or be so weakened that they collapse.  Pray For President Trump.  Pray for the people of Iran.  Pray for Israel, and please pray for the United States of America.

Palm Sunday 2026

 

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It begins the most significant series of events in history. 

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’”  So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them.  And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”  And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”  And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.  And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.  As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” 

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” 

And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.”(Luke 19:28-48 ESV) [1] (See also: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, John 12:9-19)

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/luke/19.htm

 

Overcoming Evil

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited. 

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary: 

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 

(Proverbs 25:21-22)

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9-21 NIV) [1]

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/niv/romans/12.htm

 

 

What Must I do to be Saved?

“As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.  She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”  And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.  And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.  They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”  The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.  And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.  Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,  and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.  When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.  But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”  And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.  Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.  And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.  Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” (Acts 16:16-34 ESV) [1] (emphasis added)

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/acts/16.htm

 

Weeds and Good Seed

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.  So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.  And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’  He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’  But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-30 ESV)

 

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”  He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.  Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:36-43 ESV) [1]

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/matthew/13.htm

 

The Price is not too High

When I was in town today, I noticed that a name brand filling station and convenience store was selling unleaded regular gasoline for $4.09 a gallon. The price that store was asking for diesel fuel was over $5.00 per gallon. Earlier in the week, I purchased unleaded gasoline from the same company at a different location for $3.92 a gallon.  This is a snapshot, and it may not accurately represent the average price of fuel in our area.  You can get blended gas for a few cents less.  It does show, however, that you have to pay high prices for gas and diesel fuel right now. 

It reminded me that there is a ration card my mother saved from World War II in our family papers. During that war, people sacrificed in order that the war effort could be successful. Our current military effort in Iran is very different from World War II. However, in any war it is necessary for the folks back home to share some of the burden. 

While there may be other factors at play regarding fuel prices, the Iranians have closed off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and the reduction in the world’s oil supply is driving the price of oil higher. President Trump has issued an ultimatum to Iran.  If they refuse to allow shipping through the strait, the United States will attack Iran’s electrical infrastructure.  It is uncertain whether the Ayatollahs care, but there will be hardship for everyone in Iran if that happens. When the choke point is relieved, we hope that gas prices will go down. 

The public dialogue is replete with praise and criticism regarding our military effort in Iran. Please allow this small attempt to bring clarity to the discussion. 

The prospect of the radical Islamist regime in Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is the western world's worst nightmare. If they get the bomb, they will use it or threaten the use of it to force the nations of the world to do their bidding. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) would have Americans believe that there is no imminent Iranian nuclear threat to the US because Iran does not have a delivery system that can reach our shores. *  This argument ignores some very important considerations, some of which might include: 

There is more than one way to skin a cat, and there is more than one way that Iran can deliver a nuclear strike against the USA.  Furthermore, by treaty if Iran delivers a missile borne nuclear strike on one or more of our NATO allies, we must treat it as an attack on the United States.  Iran has pledged to destroy Israel.  A nuclear attack by Iran on Israel would draw the United States into a conflict that might possibly involve a nuclear response on Iran by Israel.  There is no way to know if Russia and China would stay out of that fight. 

Whatever temporary sacrifices we need to make to ensure that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons are worth it. If I have to pay even more for a gallon of gas to get that done, I will do it happily. We cannot pass on to our children and their children the prospect of a nuclear attack from a terrorist regime like the one in Iran. The Ayatollahs must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons.  It would be like giving a five-year-old a loaded pistol at a birthday party. 

President Trump and his team have stated that regime change it's not a goal in Iran for now, but simply put, if regime change does not happen, we cannot permanently rid ourselves of the threat of a nuclear Iran. They will continue to try to obtain nuclear weapons until they get them. 

Fellow citizens, it is rare for anything worthwhile to be achieved without effort on somebody's part. Please believe as I do that the inconveniences we are experiencing are worth it, and they will end when our mission in Iran is accomplished. Give President Trump the room he needs to operate. If permanently ending the threat of a nuclear Iran is all we accomplish, what the President is doing is in our long-term best interests.

* Fox News "The Sunday Briefing" interview of Ro Khanna by Jacqui Heinrich       15 March 2026 

Freedom of Religion

The right of American citizens to worship as they choose is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution: 

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

Many of the world’s nations have an official state religion. The First Amendment prohibits the US government from designating an official state religion.  It also prohibits the government from interfering with any citizen’s faith related activities. 

Although the United States has no official religion, the majority of Americans  self-identify as Christians, Jews, or Religiously Unaffiliated.  There are over a thousand different religious groups or subgroups in the United States. 

Lamp in a Corner is a Christian blog.  It is an effort to inform people about the way of salvation provided to us through faith in Jesus Christ.  This salvation is the only way that people can come to the One True God and receive eternal life … to be spent in the joy of His presence and serving Him forever. 

Although Christians have an obligation to warn others who do not share our beliefs that we will all eventually stand in the presence of God and give an account of ourselves, it is not our job to judge others unto condemnation.  Instead, we must pray for them and peacefully persuade them to believe in Jesus Christ. 

Lamp in a Corner respects the right of people to worship as they please.  We urge everyone to regard freedom of worship and practice as a universal human right … so long as doing so does not prevent others from worshiping as they choose. 

No one has the right to use violence or coercion to convert others.  Historically, Christianity has “converted by the sword.”  Today, true Christians recognize that does not honor God.  We oppose other countries or religions when they use violence and persecution as a way to make converts. 

A great many of the world’s nations do not allow freedom of worship.  We call on them to recognize that each individual has the right worship as they choose.  In the end it is God - and only God - who will decide who is correct. 

It is not God’s way to kill, injure, coerce, persecute or discriminate against those who do not share the same religious beliefs that we do.  Please do not use force except to defend yourselves and others.  Peacefully persuade.  Pray for your enemies.  If you do, God will bless your efforts.