3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Trusting God in the Wilderness

Thursday, February 26 Genesis 3:1-19

Friday, February 27 Genesis 12:1-9

Saturday, February 28 Exodus 16:1-18

Sunday, March 1 Luke 9:28 – 36 (2nd Sunday Transfiguration)

Monday, March 2 Psalm 63

Tuesday, March 3 Isaiah 40:1-11

Wednesday, March 4 Matthew 4:1-11

Thursday, March 5 Hebrews 4:14-16

Teachings of Jesus

Friday, March 6 Matthew 5:1-12

Saturday, March 7 Matthew 5:38-48

Sunday, March 8 Luke 13:1-9 (3rd Sunday – call to repent)

Monday, March 9 Matthew 6:1-18

Tuesday, March 10 Matthew 6:19-34

Wednesday, March 11 Luke 10:25-37

Thursday, March 12 Luke 11:1-13

Friday, March 13 John 6:35-40

David Maldonado

This is a Prophetic Word in this Lenten season …

A Trumpet in the Night: A Prophetic Call to the Church in an Age of Injustice

There are moments in history when God raises His voice—loud, unfiltered, and uncompromising. Isaiah 58 is one of those moments. It is a trumpet blast to a people who believe they are righteous while walking in rebellion. It is a divine interruption to a nation comfortable with its own illusions.

And today, that trumpet is sounding again.

The United States of America—along with other global powers, like Israel—stands under the same prophetic scrutiny Isaiah described. Through warmongering, government‑sanctioned violence, economic exploitation, starvation through embargo, manipulation of nations, and the rise of false prophets who baptize injustice in the name of God, we are witnessing a rebellion against the ways of the Lord.

This administration’s vision for global dominance echoes the ancient patterns of Cain, who shed innocent blood; Nimrod, who built empires through domination; Nebuchadnezzar, who exalted himself in pride; Herod, who protected power through violence; and the many despots throughout history who walked the same path of oppression and self‑exaltation.

Christian Nationalism has become a modern false prophet—preaching a gospel of domination, violence, and “holy war,” as if the Kingdom of God advances through missiles and military might. This is not the way of Jesus. This is not the fast God has chosen.

A nation once known for compassion has become a global bully. A people once marked by generosity now cling to power at any cost. And like ancient Israel, we dare to ask God why He does not hear our prayers.

But Scripture is clear:

“You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” (Isaiah 58:4)

This is a moment for the church—not the empire—to rise.

Not with political allegiance, but with repentance, courage, and justice.

How the Church Must Respond (Biblical Mandates)

1. Repent With Integrity, Not Performance

Repentance is not a ritual—it is a reorientation of life. God calls us to wash our hands of evil, return to Him with torn hearts, and produce fruit that proves our turning is real.

• Isaiah 1:16–17 — “Wash yourselves; stop doing wrong; learn to do right.”

• Joel 2:12–13 — “Return to Me with all your heart… rend your hearts, not your garments.”

• Matthew 3:8 — “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.”

2. Break Yokes and Stand With the Oppressed

God’s chosen fast is liberation. It is the work of breaking chains, lifting burdens, freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, and sheltering the vulnerable. Anything less is religious theater.

• Isaiah 58:6–7 — “Loose the chains… share your bread… shelter the poor.”

• Zechariah 7:9–10 — “Show justice and mercy; do not oppress the widow, orphan, foreigner, or poor.”

3. Speak Truth to Power—Even When It Costs Us

The prophets confronted kings, priests, and nations. They refused to bless injustice or hide corruption behind worship. The church must recover that same courage.

• Amos 5:21–24 — “I despise your worship… let justice roll like waters.”

• Ephesians 5:11 — “Expose the works of darkness.”

4. Stand in Solidarity With the Poor, the War‑Torn, and the Forgotten

Jesus stands with the crushed, not the powerful. Solidarity means proximity, advocacy, and shared suffering—not distant sympathy.

• Luke 4:18–19 — “Good news to the poor… freedom for the oppressed.”

• Proverbs 31:8–9 — “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

5. Reject Idolatrous Nationalism and False Prophets

Nationalism demands worship and loyalty. But Scripture warns that false prophets come dressed like sheep, and our true citizenship is in heaven—not in any earthly empire.

• Matthew 7:15–20 — “Beware of false prophets… you’ll know them by their fruit.”

• Philippians 3:20 — “Our citizenship is in heaven.”

6. Become Peacemakers in a Culture Addicted to War

War is profitable, but the Kingdom is peaceable. Peacemaking is not passive—it is active resistance to violence, militarism, and vengeance.

• Matthew 5:9 — “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

• James 3:17–18 — “Wisdom from above is peace-loving… sowing peace.”

7. Defend Workers, Immigrants, and the Poor

God consistently warns that He will judge those who exploit workers, mistreat immigrants, and neglect the poor. The church must stand where God stands.

• Deuteronomy 24:14–15 — “Do not oppress workers; pay them fairly.”

• Malachi 3:5 — “I will judge those who oppress the hired worker, widow, and foreigner.”

• Matthew 25:35–40 — “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”

8. Engage Public Life With Kingdom Values, Not Partisan Loyalty

We seek the welfare of the city—not the dominance of a party. Kingdom engagement means shining light, doing good, and advocating for justice wherever we are planted.

• Jeremiah 29:7 — “Seek the peace and welfare of the city.”

• Matthew 5:14–16 — “You are the light of the world… let your light shine.”

9. Hold Fast to Hope—Christ Is Still the Light

Empires rise and fall, but the Light of Christ remains. Darkness cannot overcome Him. Hope is not naïve—it is resistance against despair.

• John 1:5 — “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”

• Isaiah 60:1–3 — “Arise, shine, for your light has come.”

A Final Word

This is not a time for silence.

Not a time for comfort and complaints because of rising fuel costs.

Not a time for the church to hide behind rituals while ignoring injustice.

This is the hour to rise.

To repent.

To speak.

To act.

To embody the fast God has chosen.

May the church become again what Jesus intended:

Repairers of Broken Walls. Restorers of Streets With Dwellings.

(Isaiah 58:12)

Saturday, March 14 Mark 2:1-12

Sunday, March 15 Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (4th Sunday – Prodigal Son)

Monday, March 16 Mark 4:35-41

Tuesday, March 17 Luke 7:36-50

Wednesday, March 18 John 4:1-26

Thursday, March 19 John 9:1-41

Friday, March 20 John 11:1-44

Saturday, March 21 Psalm 130

Spiritual Transformation: A move from destructive behaviors to dedicated followership, characterized by a, heart-level change rather than mere outward behavior,.

Miraculous Power and Healing: Jesus pointed to his miracles—healing the sick and casting out demons—as direct evidence that the Kingdom had arrived.

Righteousness, Peace, and Joy:These are the essential, internal characteristics of the Kingdom, as described in Romans 14:17.

Reversal of Misery: The Kingdom brings "good news to the poor" and binds up the brokenhearted, replacing suffering with God's peace.

Hospitality and Forgiveness: The community of the Kingdom is marked by active, serving love and forgiveness.

Small Beginnings, Large Growth: Like a mustard seed or yeast, the Kingdom often starts in small, unnoticed ways before growing extensively.

Proclamation of the Gospel: The spread of the message of Jesus and his rule

Sunday, March 22 John 11:45-57

Monday, March 23 Mark 8:27-38

Tuesday, March 24 John 12:20-33

Wednesday, March 25 Philippians 2:1-11

Thursday, March 26 Hebrews 5:7-10

Friday, March 27 Isaiah 52:13- 53:12

Saturday, March 28 Psalm 22

Holy Week – Passion & Resurrection

Sunday, March 29 Luke 19:28-40 (Palm Sunday)

Monday, March 30 John 12:1-8

Tuesday, March 31 John 13:1-17, 31-35

Wednesday, April 1 John 14

Thursday, April 2 John 18

Friday, April 3 John 19

Saturday, April 4 Matthew 27:57-66

Sunday, April 5th John 20:1-18 (Easter Sunday)

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”[a]

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[b] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[c] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”[d]

The Burial of Jesus

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[e] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

John 19:24 Psalm 22:18

John 19:26 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.

John 19:36 Exodus 12:46; Num. 9:12; Psalm 34:20

John 19:37 Zech. 12:10

John 19:39 Or about 34 kilograms