Easter 2025

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Colossae a description of the supremacy of Christ.  Paul told us about who Jesus is, the meaning of His sacrifice on the Cross, and the significance of His resurrection from the dead.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross 

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”                                        (Colossians 1:9-23 ESV) [1] 

Jesus said: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21 ESV) [2] 

This is the good news (gospel) that we celebrate on Easter.  May you experience the salvation God has provided, today and forever through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/colossians/1.htm

[2] https://biblehub.com/esv/john/3.htm

 

He Laid Down His Life for US

Who killed Christ?  The Jews were persecuted in Europe for centuries in part because they were labeled “Christ killers.”  True, a mob that was egged on by the Jewish leaders called out to Pilate for His crucifixion. (Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25) On the other hand, it was Pontius Pilate, a Roman, who sentenced Jesus to death, and it was Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross and thrust a spear into His side. (Mark 15:21-39, John 19: 15-37) 

Who killed Jesus?  The truth is that it was necessary for Jesus to die in our place to pay the death penalty for our sins.  He laid down His life for us.  Nobody took it from Him.  Then, He rose from the dead, making it possible for those who believe to rise also. 

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:14-18 ESV) [1] 

That is what we celebrate on Easter.  The message at Easter is the gospel, or good news that if you believe in Jesus your sins will be forgiven, and you can be saved from the power of sin and death.  Please accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus died to give to you.

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/john/10.htm

 

Were You There?

At times it seems like what we call Christian living today has lost its authenticity.  It is then that traditional gospel music drives home what is missing.  This Easter, let’s set aside all the fluff and look to the basics of our faith. 

“Were you There When They Crucified my Lord?” is an African American Spiritual that most probably predates the Civil War.  It has been handed down to us from generation to generation, and now various versions of it appear in over 200 hymnals.  Why?  It is because it makes us focus on what is important.

 

Were you There When They Crucified my Lord? 

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

6. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Sometimes I feel like shouting 'Glory, glory, glory!'
Were you there when he rose up from the dead? [1]

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[1] https://www.pateys.nf.ca/cgi-bin/lyrics.pl?hymnnumber=233

 

Palm Sunday 2025

The Anointing at Bethany

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone;  she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,  because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

The Fruitful Grain of Wheat

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

Who Has Believed Our Report?

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,  that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

Walk in the Light

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;  for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” [1] (John, Chapter 12 NKJV)

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nkjv/john/12.htm

 

Renewed Every Day

The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write: 

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”  We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.  All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. 

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.   (2Corinthians 4:13-18 NLT) [1]

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/2_corinthians/4.htm

 

The Impeachment of Judges

Rep Brandon Gill (R-Texas) submitted H.R. 229 to impeach U.S, District Court Judge James E. Boasberg for “high crimes and misdemeanors” on 18 March 2025.  The resolution has 16 cosponsors, all Republican. [1] A summary was not available, however, CBS quoted Congressman Gill as follows: 

"Judge James Boasberg, a rogue D.C. judge, has abused his power of the judiciary, weaponized the judiciary, politicized it, to usurp President Trump's clear plenary, Article II powers as commander in chief," said Gill. "Remember, he did this for the purpose of turning a plane mid-air full of some of the most violent, brutal, ruthless terrorists to demand that they come back into our community. That is a usurpation of power, it's unconstitutional, and it's wrong." [2] 

In a social media (truthsocial.com) post on 18 March 2025, President Donald Trump called for Judge Boasberg and other liberal Judges to be impeached for interfering with what the voters elected him to do. [3] 

NBC News quoted a statement from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts stating his opposition to Boasberg’s impeachment: 

"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose." [4] 

The TV News Media has been full of legal experts expressing their learned opinions about the impeachment of judges, the constitutional and jurisdictional authority of judges, and the political bias both sides of this issue seem to be steeped in.  I have not had the “benefit” of law school, but as a private citizen I have drawn several conclusions that I will share with you now. 

In an ideal world, the courts would be impartial, dispensing equal justice under the law in every case.  We do not live in an ideal world.  Judges are appointed, in part, because of the political views they adhere to.  It is regrettable, but it is fact.  The best we can do is to elect appointing authorities who share our views.  We would support, however, legislation that would provide for a judicial recall process by popular vote. 

Judges should not be impeached because of the decisions they make on the law.  The courts should be independent, as intended by the constitution.  Judges should be impeached, however, if they exceed their constitutional authority, try to impose decisions outside their legal jurisdiction, or break the law.  In the opinion of many, Judge Boasberg should be impeached on those grounds. 

The Democrats use the courts to create laws (case law) that advance their political agenda because the voters will not approve it at the ballot box.  We condemn this practice, and we urge our fellow citizens not to vote for Democrats and Independents who do it.  It is undemocratic (no pun intended). 

When the Republicans tried to impeach Bill Clinton, I had a gut feeling that they were opening a Pandora’s box.  My gut was accurate.  Impeachment has now become commonplace.  It is being used as a political tool to delay, prevent, or distract officials from performing the duties their office.  That is not what the constitution intended.  Under the constitution, impeachment is provided to hold officials accountable for breaking the law who may not otherwise be prosecuted.  Lamp in a Corner calls for legislation or a constitutional amendment to establish clear limits on the use of impeachment. 

Fellow citizens, the stability of our government is being undermined by the foolish and shortsighted use of impeachment.  Please let your elected representatives know that you oppose the misuse of impeachment.

[1] https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/229/all-info?s=1&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22boasberg%22%7D#latestSummary-content 

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/texas-congressman-gill-files-impeachment-articles-against-judge-boasberg-over-deportation-ruling/?&ad=dirN&prod=DS&cmpgn=feb24&annot=false&sameTabLaunch=false&o=APN12174&installSource=nag&ctype=web&browser=Chrome&darkMode=false&lang=en&ueid=e2c90595-0d3d-435a-860e-02c4929dd529&doi=2024-04-01  

[3] https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114183576937425149 

[4] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/chief-justice-pushes-back-calls-impeach-judges-rule-trump-rcna196922

 

 

The Holy Spirit Teaches, Guides, and Counsels Us

The Holy Trinity has been Christian doctrine since the Fourth Century, AD.  Christians believe there is one God, and in the unity of that one God there are three distinct, equal, and divine persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Each has his own ministry (job, role). Please refer to Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Matthew 28:19, 2Corinthians 14:14, 1Peter 1:2, 1Corinthians 12:4-6, and  Ephesians 4:4-6. 

The ministry of the Holy Spirit has many aspects.  For example, He dwells in us and helps us by teaching us, guiding us, and counseling us.

 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:15-26 ESV)

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.                    (1Corinthians 2:12-13 ESV)

 

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.  But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.  And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:4-12 ESV)

 

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15 ESV)

 

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:16-21 ESV) 

 

When we read the Holy Bible, we should pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit so that we understand it correctly and can apply it to our lives.  If we read the Bible daily, or at least regularly, when we face problems or need to make decisions, and pray for divine direction, our Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will help us bring to mind the scriptures that apply. (John 14:26)  We should obey the counsel of the Holy Spirit in order to live to please God, rather than our old sinful human nature. (Romans 8:5-11)

 

 

Acknowledgement:  All Bible verses quoted were copied from, https://biblehub.com/