Isaiah - chapter 58 - Part 2

Double Minded vs. 3

Why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and you take no notice? The cry of the just seeking an answer from the Lord? I think not! Fasting is the response of a hurting individual to seek the face of God and humbly cry out to Him for intercession in their life. To call out for help because you can no longer stand up against the problems facing you. Another reason to fast is to seek guidance from God for the path you need to travel. Whether this is like the Jews asking for God's intervention from an army encamped about their walls or to go off into the wilderness to let all distractions cease so you may hear the voice of God, it is a cry for help, strength, healing, direction which can only be answered by God. This to save the soul. This so that the light of God may shine in the darkness. The transgression of not seeking; God, His way, His will... has opened the door for sin to enter. The true reason for fasting and the heart that accompanies it has been lost to these people. How? By using the fast as a religious action to illicit a response from God for simple advantage. They thought, "If I fast God must answer." They reduced it to an equation... cause and effect... and that if they fasted God has no choice but to answer. To them it did not matter whether their actions or requests were right with God or according to His purposes. (One sad note is that these people usually think it is right what they are doing and asking) They were looking for a change of circumstances. They wanted God to do it their way. With their lips they said all the right things but their hearts were far from Him. They said, "if we fast and afflict our souls... if you do not see it and take notice... then God you are being unfair". What did God say about them? In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, 1/ They would declare a day of fasting to themselves to prompt God to act on their behalf. They set a time apart to afflict their souls yet God says that they found pleasure. How so? They made such a show of their fasting to others that they received attention to their false acts of holiness and humility so that in the eyes of others they appeared to be godly and holy. Men would praise them for their piety. They thought of this as a bonus reward they received from their fellows. This is what Jesus said when commenting on their way of fasting matt 6.16 Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. This is the answer to why God does not answer them. They have already received an answer from men. And exploit all your laborers. 2/ When someone goes fasting it implies that they need help. They are overcome or cannot rise above their current condition. "I am weak oh Lord and need your help." Yet how weak are they when they go out and force their own workers to perform that which is in their own hearts.

Exploit, to take advantage in a way that is not right in the eyes of God. They pressure others to carry the largest burden while they display their fasting to all about them. What is this like? Jesus said: matt 23. 4For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. God does not help those who oppress others. Instead, He judges them. Bottom Line Motivation vs 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. 3/ Eventually on this dwindling spiral into error, into sin, they start to reflect open hostility towards others. Why? God no longer moves to answer their petitions when they fast. They are motivated by what their hearts have become and wickedness is at its root. They need to dress themselves even more with a cloak of righteousness and holiness but this cloak is outward. There is nothing in their hearts of the love of neither God nor the way of God in their minds. They fast openly to the eyes of men to gain advantage over others when their desires are challenged. They will say; "Look how holy I am, therefore I must be right and you must listen to me. If you don't listen, you are fighting against God's anointed and God Himself." This is the voice of one who is in rebellion to God's way. This is manipulation of people because they can no longer "manipulate?" God. This is witchcraft. God's Command to Them You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. God has rejected the way of their fasting. If they expect to be heard by God they must stop approaching Him in this manner. He will no longer hear the words of prayer during their fast for they have corrupted it. You may ask, "Surely they didn't expect to be heard by God with the way they were currently doing their fasting?" The answer is... YES, they certainly did expect God to answer them! They are the very same people being spoken of in verse two. Seeking God daily, delighting in His ways, thinking they were righteous, asking for His ordinances and delighting themselves when going to temple... or for us today... to church. They had the truth yet: Jer 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? They started out good yet justified their errors, their sins, their transgression and eventually lost their way. Truly believing they were standing in the light they did not know they were now in the pit of darkness. That is why God told the prophet... cry aloud, spare not! No Longer This Form vs 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Oh, how easy it became for man to afflict his soul in the presence of the Lord. "I am guilty of sins Lord, my enemy seeks to do me harm, I am a worm, please God reach out and help me." In

all this though, they will not repent of the error of their ways. They speak the words with emotions tearing them yet believe that they are righteous. If only they would just beat themselves up enough inside then God would have pity and move to help them. God will no longer look on those who will afflict their souls but He will look instead upon those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? No longer can one approach God with a head that is bowed in false humility and then expect Him to answer. No longer to spread sackcloth on the ground and cover his head with ashes. An outward display with no reality in the heart. All these actions became an elaborate show with no substance. No change of heart. Therefore no change in their lives. Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? Those in the time of Isaiah would say yes. Those after the time of Isaiah would say yes. Those at the time of Jesus would say yes. Many in the church today would say yes. God says "No".

Start fasting gently by first skipping meals or reducing meals

Beginners may start their fasting by skipping a meal each day for one or two days each week. Best would be to skip breakfast, as by the morning your stomach is already empty for many hours and is used to it. When you may feel hungry at the usual time for breakfast, just think or do anything positive that you may enjoy and that can absorb all your attention for a while and you notice the hunger disappearing for some time. It is like a child that wants your attention and if it doesn't get it, goes playing on its own again. If your hunger sees you paying attention to something else, it may go for a while, then try again and after a few tries just stays away. Remember: Keep your attention on something positive and busy - or meditate deeply. During this time when you skip for example breakfast, you may drink up to 1 liter of water or in hot whether even more. When you practice this successfully you may realize that you may feel even stronger without food than with. The purification of your physical body shows its positive sideeffects. The more you get your body purified by proper eating habits and some fasting, the more metaphysical energy starts to flow through you and the better you may start to feel.

Replace remaining meals with clean, natural, organic meals

By now it may be time to skip even two meals a day, for example breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. Whatever is more suitable to your daily plan of physical work and meditation schedule? But of course, if you start to skip one or two meals a day for a few weeks, it is important to have for the remainder of your meals the freshest possible food. Only the best should be good enough and this means fresh salads and fruits. Salads and fruits are ideal whenever you reduce the total volume of food-intake, because they provide the highest amount of pure natural energy including all important vitamins and minerals.

Remember that elephants and horses are vegetarians and yet strong !!!
Some people may now start to think of lack of protein or fat or what so ever. But remember that elephants also are vegetarian and have plentiful of muscles and strong bones. ;-)) Hundreds of millions of people in Asian countries and else where are vegetarians and enjoy excellent health. These above point are preparatory for any fasting. By practicing natural and pure eating habits as described above for a few years, you may then consider your first extended fasting. By extended is meant more than 3 days and less than approximately 3 weeks. Short time fasting of up to 3 days can be done any time when feeling healthy and well. Do it only during periods of normal and moderate physical work and exercise. Whenever you plan very hard work or intense physical exercise you should at the beginning of your experience take normal food quality and quantity.

Combine fasting with additional practical outdoor work - physical work with real content!

While physical exercise also moves muscles real work makes sense and is useful for others and leads to additional satisfaction in your life!
When you plan your first fasting of approximately 10 to 20 days under the supervision of a medical doctor, healer or your Guru, you may even combine it with fasting walks. This is a very good method of increasing the benefits of fasting. It is practices with daily easy walks starting at approximately 6 to 10 km and increasing daily up to approximately 30 to 40 km maximum and 15 to 25 km being the minimum by the end of your fasting walk. Drink 3 to 4 liters of pure water and watch your blood sugar level by listening to your body's symptoms. This should only be done under supervision of a knowledgeable person experienced with this special way of fasting. To keep the blood sugar level safe, it is important to walk at moderate to slow speed and make frequent rests. Any kind of motion and moderate exercises during fasten-periods are speeding up the purification process in your physical and metaphysical body. Take care of your body, it is a

vehicle given to your soul to learn important spiritual lessons on this planet, so handle your physical body with care and love while continuously aiming at your spiritual goal until you reached it. The goal of any soul on earth and elsewhere is freedom in God.

Spiritual practice in combination with detoxification of body through fasting

After several years of spiritual practice like for example extensive Kriya Yoga leading to your daily kriya pranayama being in the range of more than 4 - 6 hours each day for more than 2 to 3 months, you may then start to reduce your food intake daily over a period of approximately 4 to 6 weeks by increasing at the same time your total number of kriya pranayama practiced each day. Notice that this food reduction and increase of Kriya Pranayama should be done only if you are a vegetarian for at least 3 to 4 years before attempting it. Best is to practice this under direct guidance of your personal Guru. He may assist you in finding the best individual method for you.

During far advanced Kriya Yoga you may go to zero food for a while feeding on prana only
When you have reached a total of approximately 8 hours or more of Kriya Pranayama for more than one week you may reach a point where you may completely stop any food intake except pure water. At this point you may need less water as your body is already purified. This is the time for an extended spiritual fasting that usually may last 40 days or even longer. It is done under direct supervision of your Guru or under the Divine guidance of God. You may know for sure at this time that your body is fed by the Divine life-force coming from God and you may feel and know all the needs of your physical body. This usually is the time when you may be ready to achieve your first Nirbikalpa Samadhi to experience your complete God-Union. This complete God-Union takes places with your breathing completely ceased and your heart completely stopped. Hence you "die". But you may realize the enormous flow of Prana coming directly from God and keeping your physical body young and alive while you enjoy the Divine Bliss and Love from God.

Proper fasting in combination with advanced spiritual practice leads to increased power and energy level in your body!
When you are ready for extended and repeated spiritual fasting, you may notice your energy within your physical body increasing day after day. You may at this point do any hard work or physical exercise and realize that you have more power than ever before. Notice that it certainly is advisable to practice this for the first time only under the direct guidance of your spiritual Guru, whether he may have a physical body or just a spiritual body. Be cautious and listen to the

inner guidance received from God, also listen to your physical body's true needs to fulfill all it's function at the highest possible quality.