Ventilator Jesus
Posted by Rebecca | | Posted On Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 8:19 PM
We recently witnessed the dramatic act of nature on I-75’s sculpted Jesus that burned to the ground. Lightening hit the $300,000 sculpture constructed of Styrofoam and plaster over a metal frame covered by a thin skin of fiberglass. The sculpture had been the centerpiece of the front lawn of the Solid Rock Church, and was the talk of media across the country, referring to the piece as, “Butter Jesus” or “Touchdown Jesus.” According to Newsvine.com, church leaders are vowing to “rebuild the iconic King of Kings statue.”
The enormous, sculpted form has been a shock to many over the years. My daughter’s response, after seeing the sculpture for the first time was, “Oh Jesus!” She had been napping in the back seat and was startled by the sight. It was probably most people’s response even when they were awake.
Strangely enough, the same week I received phone calls and emails about the meltdown of the statue, I had a vision of a man on a ventilator for life support. The Lord asked me if I knew who he was. I said no. He said it was Jesus. The problem wasn’t that Jesus needed assistance to breathe or maintain life. The problem was assuming our assistance was needed to keep Him alive in our ministries. The vision was metaphorical to the fact that people had discovered how to keep ministry self-sustaining by life support techniques of their own-making. With these techniques, Christians are able to monitor the life and breath of what they are doing for Christ. In fact, the Father said that an epidemic had developed in the body of Christ; an epidemic I have decided to call the “Ventilator Jesus Syndrome.” It is the syndrome that occurs from self-reliance as the life support that powers our ministry.
How did we get here? The answer is not as simple as it may seem. Self-reliance is spreading through the country like a disease. The following are a few symptoms to help you evaluate your spiritual health and see if you have caught the Ventilator Jesus Syndrome.
1. Blurred Vision
This symptom is revealed when people find themselves creating good ideas that are not God ideas. We borrow perspectives that work outside of our own sphere and then things get cloudy as we try to make them fit our own environment. If you find yourself stumbling around trying to make something work that keeps tripping you up, you may have blurred vision.
Jesus said, “I only do what the Father says to do.” Actually, Jesus goes deeper than this when speaking to the mother of John and James in Matthew 20:20-23,
“Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don't know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’”
Jesus clearly saw whose vision He was to align Himself with. He did nothing on His own. When we think we can create, build or establish government or a church apart from the Lord’s voice, we will always have blurred vision.
2. Irregular heartbeat
This symptom is a result of not getting to the heart of what Christ desires. It is manifested when our personal interests over shadow God’s heart in a situation creating an abnormal heart pattern and rhythm that is unlike His. The systemic problems are revealed in these verses of Philippians...
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4
Jesus desires that we have nothing tugging at our heartstrings other than His heart’s desire. Over time we can become calloused to this, thinking we have things figured out or that our ideas are the right ideas. This symptom makes us territorial and arrogant toward others. If you find you are having trouble getting to the Father’s heart due to your heart beating differently than His, you may be experiencing a heart irregularity.
3. Restlessness
This symptom is related to those aspects of ministry where you are not satisfied with how things are going. You may find you react instead of waiting for answers. You may also experience boredom and lack motivation. Many times when a person is operating out of their own strength, restlessness is the result. Restlessness is directly related to the need to push forward when you should be patiently preparing your spirit for the next God move. The tendency is to “jump the gun”. This is a serious symptom to address. Such conditions stem from having no “God time” on your radar. It happened to Cain...
“Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth...” Genesis 4:14
This symptom of restlessness mutates into fear when you become concerned about others getting ahead or becoming more successful.
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways.” Psalm 37:7
If these symptoms persist, they will inevitably lead to other side effects. The tendency is to get busier, fueled by driven ness, when the remedy is to stop moving.
4. Confusion
This symptom is of a more serious nature and is a result of the first three symptoms persisting over time. Unless this is treated soon, confusion will lead to chaotic responses and disorder in choices. This is the development of old patterns of worldly thinking...
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2
The result will be a type of spiritual, cognitive dissonance where we act and do things out of a fuzzy state of understanding and imbalance, placing our trust in our own thinking and becoming double-minded.
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
James 1:6-8
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Confusion creates the illusion of right thinking. We fabricate in our own wisdom ideas we attribute to God. It is the substitution of relevance for genuine revelation.
5. Shortness of breath
With this symptom comes burnout. Anytime we are operating out of our own strength, we begin to find ourselves short of breath. It will not be long before we experience sleepless nights, anxiety attacks and other related conditions that are a result of shortness of breath. In time we breathe artificially to sustain our existence and eventually lose the strength to withstand the forces around us.
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:24-25
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Shortness of breath is a clear signal that you have the Ventilator Jesus Syndrome. This symptom has developed as a result of striving in ministry to the point of exhaustion. When we operate out of the spirit, “His burden is light and our joy is made complete.” He really is the one who “holds all things together.”
So what is the cure for the Ventilator Jesus Syndrome? On the spiritual health-meter, how do you score?
1-------------------- ♥---------------------10
We have become so clever, finding so many ways to be self-reliant. This is surely why Paul said we must “labor into our rest.” The reason for such a declaration is because of how hard we struggle to get the job done or how guilty we feel when we don’t. Here is a remedy you may consider if you are struggling with this syndrome:
• Take daily doses of the Bread of Life.
• Exercise the eyes of your heart.
• Get a lot of Sabbath rest.
• Meditate on God’s word.
• Don’t forget to breathe.
Warning: Take no supplements to this lifetime plan. If symptoms persist, increase the remedy till the problems are eradicated.
The enormous, sculpted form has been a shock to many over the years. My daughter’s response, after seeing the sculpture for the first time was, “Oh Jesus!” She had been napping in the back seat and was startled by the sight. It was probably most people’s response even when they were awake.
Strangely enough, the same week I received phone calls and emails about the meltdown of the statue, I had a vision of a man on a ventilator for life support. The Lord asked me if I knew who he was. I said no. He said it was Jesus. The problem wasn’t that Jesus needed assistance to breathe or maintain life. The problem was assuming our assistance was needed to keep Him alive in our ministries. The vision was metaphorical to the fact that people had discovered how to keep ministry self-sustaining by life support techniques of their own-making. With these techniques, Christians are able to monitor the life and breath of what they are doing for Christ. In fact, the Father said that an epidemic had developed in the body of Christ; an epidemic I have decided to call the “Ventilator Jesus Syndrome.” It is the syndrome that occurs from self-reliance as the life support that powers our ministry.
How did we get here? The answer is not as simple as it may seem. Self-reliance is spreading through the country like a disease. The following are a few symptoms to help you evaluate your spiritual health and see if you have caught the Ventilator Jesus Syndrome.
1. Blurred Vision
This symptom is revealed when people find themselves creating good ideas that are not God ideas. We borrow perspectives that work outside of our own sphere and then things get cloudy as we try to make them fit our own environment. If you find yourself stumbling around trying to make something work that keeps tripping you up, you may have blurred vision.
Jesus said, “I only do what the Father says to do.” Actually, Jesus goes deeper than this when speaking to the mother of John and James in Matthew 20:20-23,
“Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don't know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’”
Jesus clearly saw whose vision He was to align Himself with. He did nothing on His own. When we think we can create, build or establish government or a church apart from the Lord’s voice, we will always have blurred vision.
2. Irregular heartbeat
This symptom is a result of not getting to the heart of what Christ desires. It is manifested when our personal interests over shadow God’s heart in a situation creating an abnormal heart pattern and rhythm that is unlike His. The systemic problems are revealed in these verses of Philippians...
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4
Jesus desires that we have nothing tugging at our heartstrings other than His heart’s desire. Over time we can become calloused to this, thinking we have things figured out or that our ideas are the right ideas. This symptom makes us territorial and arrogant toward others. If you find you are having trouble getting to the Father’s heart due to your heart beating differently than His, you may be experiencing a heart irregularity.
3. Restlessness
This symptom is related to those aspects of ministry where you are not satisfied with how things are going. You may find you react instead of waiting for answers. You may also experience boredom and lack motivation. Many times when a person is operating out of their own strength, restlessness is the result. Restlessness is directly related to the need to push forward when you should be patiently preparing your spirit for the next God move. The tendency is to “jump the gun”. This is a serious symptom to address. Such conditions stem from having no “God time” on your radar. It happened to Cain...
“Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth...” Genesis 4:14
This symptom of restlessness mutates into fear when you become concerned about others getting ahead or becoming more successful.
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways.” Psalm 37:7
If these symptoms persist, they will inevitably lead to other side effects. The tendency is to get busier, fueled by driven ness, when the remedy is to stop moving.
4. Confusion
This symptom is of a more serious nature and is a result of the first three symptoms persisting over time. Unless this is treated soon, confusion will lead to chaotic responses and disorder in choices. This is the development of old patterns of worldly thinking...
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2
The result will be a type of spiritual, cognitive dissonance where we act and do things out of a fuzzy state of understanding and imbalance, placing our trust in our own thinking and becoming double-minded.
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
James 1:6-8
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Confusion creates the illusion of right thinking. We fabricate in our own wisdom ideas we attribute to God. It is the substitution of relevance for genuine revelation.
5. Shortness of breath
With this symptom comes burnout. Anytime we are operating out of our own strength, we begin to find ourselves short of breath. It will not be long before we experience sleepless nights, anxiety attacks and other related conditions that are a result of shortness of breath. In time we breathe artificially to sustain our existence and eventually lose the strength to withstand the forces around us.
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:24-25
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Shortness of breath is a clear signal that you have the Ventilator Jesus Syndrome. This symptom has developed as a result of striving in ministry to the point of exhaustion. When we operate out of the spirit, “His burden is light and our joy is made complete.” He really is the one who “holds all things together.”
So what is the cure for the Ventilator Jesus Syndrome? On the spiritual health-meter, how do you score?
1-------------------- ♥---------------------10
We have become so clever, finding so many ways to be self-reliant. This is surely why Paul said we must “labor into our rest.” The reason for such a declaration is because of how hard we struggle to get the job done or how guilty we feel when we don’t. Here is a remedy you may consider if you are struggling with this syndrome:
• Take daily doses of the Bread of Life.
• Exercise the eyes of your heart.
• Get a lot of Sabbath rest.
• Meditate on God’s word.
• Don’t forget to breathe.
Warning: Take no supplements to this lifetime plan. If symptoms persist, increase the remedy till the problems are eradicated.
Great word Rebecca. How much more in this day and age do we need to be in alignment with Him as you discussed above. The space beyond a relationship with Him is too hot and difficult. To survive we need the cooling waters of His presence. Ps. 40:6-8 and Hosea 6:6. Ann
Thanks Ann,
I have over the years had these symptoms... sometimes all at once. It is a red flag of my own striving. I "labor" as Paul said to stick to the "remedy". I breathe much better now.
Rebecca