"You are [easily] deceived, because you don't know the scriptures or the power of God."

                                                                                                                    -  Matt 22:29

"[Evil] comes to steal and kill and destroy."                                            -  John 10:10

Many of you knew Andy LaVallee who traveled the country talking about fasting. Andy built a bakery shipping whole-grain bread around the country to believers, assisting them in fasting while also serving Boston’s high-end hotels and restaurants. If those of you who knew him were not aware, he has passed, and we thought you would want to pray for the repose of his soul and for his family. Our thanks to our brother who made such an effort on the Lord’s behalf.  He will be doing a lot of feasting in the days ahead!

We feel led to set out on another three-day Esther Fast, the biblical prescription that was specifically detailed at a moment of absolute urgency. It was also the exact fast Heaven prescribed for Jonah before his rescue of Ninevah, perhaps a forerunner to America.

As the book of Esther explains, all of God’s believers were slated for extermination. Esther led the people by proclaiming a three-day fast, detailing believers should have nothing to eat and nothing to drink for the three days.   Heaven’s miracles flowed thereafter.

As we think about embarking on this fasting endeavor, recall that last week one of the most studied old testament passages worldwide was the fall of King David, the inescapable suffering that was triggered by his sin, the surprising mercy from God with His forgiveness, and the story of David’s restitution.

One particularly haunting verse was God’s words to David as He confronted David with the truth:

“you have despised me” – 2 Sam 12:10

How could God say that David had despised him?

David had done so much to honor the Lord.

Why would the Lord use such devastating words for David saying that he had despised Him? Clearly, the Lord was referring to David’s sin.

David’s sins were sordid – murdering an innocent man who pledged his allegiance to David. It was an execution to cover up David’s affair with the same foot soldier’s wife. The fact that David was ever able to be reconciled to God gives hope to everyone.

Let’s pause for one moment though to think about the ranking of the Commandments as God ordered them. Murder is the 5^th most important commandment. Adultery is the 6^thmost important commandment.

It seems hard to comprehend but scripture lists honoring false gods, taking the name of the Lord in vain, and working on the Sabbath as worse than David’s sins. I’ll leave it up to you to change God’s perspective on that if you are taking offense to those words. But if God felt David despised Him because of David’s sins … how offensive are we to the Lord if we commit sins scripture ranks worse than David’s? Suffice it to say we have likely all broken those first three commandments, perhaps so often that we don’t even think about dong so anymore.

Imagine if you brought someone into your home that your son had died to save. You provided for this person in ways that this beneficiary of your kindness didn’t even begin to appreciate. You love your home. And so, you give your guest a list of 10 rules to follow while in your home. Don’t play your music loudly when we are sleeping ... Don’t leave your trash around the house… Don’t wipe your dirty shoes on the sofa.

Imagine this person who your son died for refused to do as you asked. Perhaps just as upsetting, he had the gall to act as though you should be buddies despite his behavior.

Isn’t that an appropriate comparison to how Our Lord is treated? Consider also our Lord is uber sensitive.

So let us apologize to Him and let us make this Esther Fast from the heart. Let us do something that may never have been done before – to go to this effort and actually ask Him for help with just one intention.  An intention that He is going to be very pleased with. Let us not ask for riches, or any other gift that is aligned with our wants. Let us ask His help in doing what would give Him the most joy –

... the grace to repent.

None of us may be inclined to think of that as our first choice for an intention, especially when the offering – a three-day Esther Fast – is so intense.

As you contemplate making the effort for such an intention, consider what happened today.  We did not know what today’s most studied scriptural passages would be worldwide when we decided to invite you to join us for this special fast. We think today’s verses are more than coincidental, supporting the timeliness from heaven’s perspective. The #1 most studied Old Testament passage worldwide today pointed believers to David’s final thoughts – He who was the only person scripture says had a heart like the Lord’s:

When David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying,2"I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;4that the LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, `If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a  man on the throne of Israel.' 10Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.  - 1 KINGS 2:1-4, 10-12

… having achieved immortality with his military conquests, having risen from being a poor shepherd to the equivalent of a multi billionaire, and his most important advice to his son and the world summing up all of his life – keep the commandments.

Of note, the most studied gospel on the planet today was from Mark 6 as Jesus called the apostles and sent them forth with a singular mission:

And he called to him the twelve and began to send them out two by two… 12So they went out and preached that men should repent. - MARK 6:7, 12

Consider one more supporting data point about the timeliness of this moment. Recall the words spoken by the greatest evangelist of our lifetimes on Christmas Day to the youngest visionary from Medjugorje –

“Grace is spreading throughout the whole world.”

So, we ask you to join us in this grace-filled moment and attempt an Esther Fast next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Don’t fail to make the effort because you don’t know if you can make it – none of us know if we will have the strength to be able to make it. Just decide you will try to climb this 72 step mountain with us – 72 hours without eating or drinking.  Let us offer this for the intention that we, our church and America will all be blessed with the grace to repent.  Such a grace will provide an inflection point.

He cannot be outgiven – the grace to repent is the pre-cursor for all of God’s blessings that we do deeply desire.

Thank you for fasting with us. You will be glad you did for all of eternity.

Why We Fast – Our Core Fasting Intentions

1) We add the new fasting intention of taking back the church from evil. We submit the three-step process to achieve this victory is 1-Repent, 2-Prayer & Fasting and, 3-Imitate our Savior by throwing the evil leadership from the church. We will seek to emulate the Savior in our effort to End The USCCB, an organization that has been devastating to the church.  (“You shall know the spirit by the fruits” - Matt. 7:16)

2) For the Holy Spirit to reign down upon America, renewing our land as the Christian, capitalist meritocracy we were founded to be.

3) For the protection of our police, firefighters, military and their families from harm and that the Lord bless their courageous generosity on our behalf.

4) For the protection of the families who fast with us, and for God’s blessings of abundance upon them and that true to His word, we will be able to witness that He prospered us in famine.

Would you like to learn more about fasting?

We maintain a repository of ideas and information we have learned over the last decade while fasting weekly for America. From scientific studies on the benefits of fasting, to the differences between intermittent dieting vs intermittent fasting, to scriptural references regarding the power of fasting to the history of first century Christians who stated believers are obligated to fast weekly, we hope you will find numerous insights with our free resource located here.

Together let us also implore Heaven while fasting for intentions you have highlighted:

4) For all patriots who put themselves on the front lines in combatting evil and for all of the warriors who are stepping up around the nation to fight for the gospel – May The Father cover them in the blood of our savior,  protect them and their families from evil and bring victory to their endeavors.

5) For priests, ministers and all who aspire to lead others to the Lord, that the Holy Spirit will reign down upon them as at Pentecost filling them to overflowing. 

6) For the Americans jailed after January 6th who were admitted to the Capitol building by the police, and who were not found to have destroyed any property at the capitol yet who have been held captive ever since on our own soil - That God's Spirit will move quickly to bring justice back to this land and free them.


Who We Are
St. Joseph Partners is a for-profit business that has funded Fast for America for over ten years. To the extent you support our work to renew America and if you understand why gold and silver protect believers' wealth in this world, please consider us or recommend us when you or someone you know buys or sells gold and silver. From our website www.StJosephPartners.com you can buy and sell dozens of types of precious metals. We close on Sundays to honor the Sabbath. Click here for a link where you can view a brief video about our firm and a brief video about why all investors and families should have some gold and silver in their portfolios.