“Sanctify A Fast” Joel 2:15
Fast Day Announcement for Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 A.D.
From the Session of Shenandoah Valley Reformed Presbyterian Church
A Congregation of the Reformed Presbtyerian Church General Assembly
WHEREAS, our nation continues to demonstrate the marks of God giving us “over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient,” (Romans 1:28), demonstrated by a deplorable and abominable moral free-fall consistent with the Lord’s righteous judgment upon a sinful nation, (Leviticus 26:14ff., Isaiah 1:2-15, Psalm 43:1, Proverbs 14:34) including:
- The abandonment of the One True and Living God, our fathers’ God as individuals, families, states, and nation (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 13:6-7, Psalm 33:10, Matthew 28:19-20);
- The acceptance and practice of man-made worship of God, seeking approval from men rather than from God (Deuteronomy 12:1-4, Matthew 15:1-9, Colossians 2:20-23, Hebrews 12:28-29);
- The usage of God’s Name in light and vain ways in our day-to-day speech, jokes, entertainment, and even in preaching (Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Psalm 50:14-16, 145:20-21);
- The abandonment of the Christian Sabbath as a memorial of Christ’s resurrection, a solemn day of rest and worship in favor of leisure and sport (Exodus 20:8-11, Isaiah 58:11-14, Luke 24:1-3, Acts 20:7-11);
- The casting off of lawful authority in family, church, and state in favor of rebellion, tyranny, and notions of democratic authority, as husbands and wives, servants and masters, parents and children, pastors and congregants, etc. (Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Hebrews 13:17, Romans 13:1-7);
- The meddling of our nation’s leaders in the affairs of other sovereign nations without regard to truth, righteousness, and justice, and promoting of avarice, graft, and perversity rather than Biblical virtue, and abusing authority and betraying the public trust (Psalm 82, 2 Chronicles 25:17-28 and 35:20-27);
- The taking of innocent life by those sworn to “Do no harm,” whether in or out of the womb, and the refusal to use the sword of civil justice as God has commanded: “life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,” (Deuteronomy 19:21, Romans 13:3-4);
- The forced injection of experimental drugs on large portions of our population, with a campaign to cover up the havoc on untold lives (Exodus 22:18 and 23:2);
- The acceptance of depopulation, climate change, and related lies by those in high and low places in society (Genesis 1:28, 9:1, Leviticus 19:26, Psalm 127 and 128, Colossians 2:23);
- The perversion of the Biblical family, including legislation legalizing the abomination of sodomy as protected marriage, as if such legislation could ever make good what God has called evil (Genesis 13:13, 18:20, 19:4-7 and 24-25, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:18-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Jude 7);
- The exposure of these perversions to children in public schools and libraries in the name of the Marxist “virtues” of diversity and inclusion, with other acts among business and other enterprises to seduce little children to love what they should hate, and thus failing to protect children from sin, perversion, and harm (Matthew 18:5-10, Luke 17:1-2);
- The destruction of the means of creating wealth by mass histeria, idleness, lock-downs, government regulation, government money laundering, and communism/progressive taxes (Exodus 20:15, 1 Samuel 8:11-18, Ezekiel 34:2-5, Matthew 20:25-28);
- The perversion of truth in our national discourse, the promotion of lies, and the inability to discuss relevant national issues of righteousness apart from strife and violence (Isaiah 5:20, 29:21 and 59:1-21, Galatians 5:17-26);
- Many other sins and breaches of the Law of God, not only now tolerated, but promoted, applauded, advanced, and honored as “laws” in our land and in popular expectation (Psalm 94:20-23, Ecclesiastes 3:16, Romans 1:32); and
WHEREAS, many of these same sins have been brought into the Church, not only by way of temptation, but by invitation and imitation. Thus, those that say they know Christ and profess to be sons of God are growing tolerant of such sin and abomination in their midst, refusing the government of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King and Only Head of the Church, and instead of hearing Him, have been conformed to this world, sinfully refusing proper Church Discipline for the honor of Christ, the purity of His body, and the salvation of such as are trapped in their sins, claiming instead a worldly and carnal toleration of sin, contrary to 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; and
WHEREAS, the visible people of God, the Churches in our land are guilty of will-worship, habitual Sabbath desecration, indifference to the things of God, and disinterestedness in His Word, ways, and Commandments, living rather according to the vain philosophies of men, and the spirit of the age, (Isaiah 58:13-14, Ezekiel 33:30-33, Hosea 4:12, Colossians 2:16-23); and
WHEREAS, judgment begins at the house of God, and we cannot rightly expect renewal and reformation in our nation apart from repentance and crying out to the Lord first for our own sins, and then for the darkness the sins of the Church have brought upon our land, in accordance with Ezekiel 8 and 9; Daniel 9:3-19, 1 Peter 4:17; and
WHEREAS, we have great examples to be followed in the Holy Scriptures concerning prayers of confession of sin, weeping for sin, coupled with fasting in such grievous times of ecclesiastical and national declension and sin for our instruction (Ezra 8:21-23; Nehemiah 9:1-38; Jonah 3:4-10); and,
WHEREAS, we have such great and precious promises from the Lord our God, and from His Son the Lord Jesus Christ that He will hear from heaven when we cry unto Him even for our sins, (Deuteronomy 4:29-31, Isaiah 55.6-7, Joel 2:12-19; 1 John 2:1-2).
THEREFORE, the Elders of Shenandoah Valley Reformed Presbyterian Church call for a day of fasting and prayer to be observed this 28th day of February, in the Year of Our Lord 2023 among all in our church’s bounds, to be observed as each several household is able, calling upon the Lord with prayer, fasting, affliction of soul, and humiliation for sin before the Lord, generally for these and other confessions to and requests from the Holy Lord God, in the Name of Jesus Christ:
- Confession of the particular sins of our Nation, States, Churches and families, particularly;
- Propagation of the Gospel of Christ from the least to the greatest in all areas of civil and private life, and holy living from such true conversion to Christ, the conversion of our fellow citizens and civil leaders;
- Reformation, repentance, strength, and faithful obedience, first in the Churches—our officers and members, refusing sinful toleration and sin, taking up Scripture instruction, discipline, and order;
- Led by the Churches’ example, turning from sin in our Civil authorities and connections, in all places and stations; from the least to the greatest, from president to mayor, from rich to poor, and all others;
- A ready defense, with meekness and fear, to all who would require an answer from the people of God for the hope that lies within them, and for the lives of obedience they live, walking in wisdom to those that are without.
So far as human infirmity and particular circumstances allow, we ask that all officers and members of our church, and those who wish to join us observe a day of fasting and prayer with a meeting in God’s house for public meditation and prayer on Tuesday, February 28th at 6 pm at a location to be announced.
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:1-18 |
Concerning Public Solemn Fasting
WHEN some great and notable judgments are either inflicted upon a people, or apparently imminent, or by some extraordinary provocations notoriously deserved; as also when some special blessing is to be sought and obtained, public solemn fasting (which is to continue the whole day) is a duty that God expecteth from that nation or people.
A religious fast requires total abstinence, not only from all food, (unless bodily weakness do manifestly disable from holding out till the fast be ended, in which case somewhat may be taken, yet very sparingly, to support nature, when ready to faint,) but also from all worldly labour, discourses, and thoughts, and from all bodily delights, and such like, (although at other times lawful,) rich apparel, ornaments, and such like, during the fast; and much more from whatever is in the nature or use scandalous and offensive, as gaudish attire, lascivious habits and gestures, and other vanities of either sex; which we recommend to all ministers, in their places, diligently and zealously to reprove, as at other times, so especially at a fast, without respect of persons, as there shall be occasion.
Before the public meeting, each family and person apart are privately to use all religious care to prepare their hearts to such a solemn work, and to be early at the congregation.
So large a portion of the day as conveniently may be, is to be spent in public reading and preaching of the word, with singing of psalms, fit to quicken affections suitable to such a duty: but especially in prayer, to this or the like effect:
“Giving glory to the great Majesty of God, the Creator, Preserver, and supreme Ruler of all the world, the better to affect us thereby with a holy reverence and awe of him; acknowledging his manifold, great, and tender mercies, especially to the church and nation, the more effectually to soften and abase our hearts before him; humbly confessing of sins of all sorts, with their several aggravations; justifying God’s righteous judgments, as being far less than our sins do deserve; yet humbly and earnestly imploring his mercy and grace for ourselves, the church and nation, for our king, and all in authority, and for all others for whom we are bound to pray, (according as the present exigent requireth,) with more special importunity and enlargement than at other times; applying by faith the promises and goodness of God for pardon, help, and deliverance from the evils felt, feared, or deserved; and for obtaining the blessings which we need and expect; together with a giving up of ourselves wholly and for ever unto the Lord.”
In all these, the ministers, who are the mouths of the people unto God, ought so to speak from their hearts, upon serious and thorough premeditation of them, that both themselves and their people may be much affected, and even melted thereby, especially with sorrow for their sins; that it may be indeed a day of deep humiliation and afflicting of the soul.
Special choice is to be made of such scriptures to be read, and of such texts for preaching, as may best work the hearts of the hearers to the special business of the day, and most dispose them to humiliation and repentance; insisting most on those particulars which each minister’s observation and experience tells him are most conducing to the edification and reformation of that congregation to which he preacheth.
Before the close of the public duties, the minister is, in his own and the people’s names, to engage his and their hearts to be the Lord’s, with professed purpose and resolution to reform whatever is amiss among them, and more particularly such sins as they have been more remarkably guilty of; and to draw near unto God, and to walk more closely and faithfully with him in new obedience, than ever before.
He is also to admonish the people, with all importunity, that the work of that day doth not end with the public duties of it, but that they are so to improve the remainder of the day, and of their whole life, in re-enforcing upon themselves and their families in private all those godly affections and resolutions which they professed in public, as that they may be settled in their hearts for ever, and themselves may more sensibly find that God hath smelt a sweet savour in Christ from their performances, and is pacified towards them, by answers of grace, in pardoning of sin, in removing of judgments, in averting or preventing of plagues, and in conferring of blessings, suitable to the conditions and prayers of his people, by Jesus Christ.
Besides solemn and general fasts enjoined by authority, we judge that, at other times, congregations may keep days of fasting, as divine Providence shall administer unto them special occasion; and also that families may do the same, so it be not on days wherein the congregation to which they do belong is to meet for fasting, or other public duties of worship. (Westminster Directory for Public Worship)
