The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit shows us the importance of finishing our race and leaving a lasting legacy. Elijah’s story points us to passing our spirit to the next generation, just as he left his mantle for Elisha. Our calling is to live so others want what we have in God, and to help them pick up the work and go even further. We each should fulfill our ministry, then pass it on.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Audio
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
2 Timothy 4:5-8, Revelation 20:11, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 25:21, 1 Kings 21:3, 1 Kings 21:19, 1 Kings 21:23, 2 Kings 2:1-14, 2 Kings 2:11-12, Romans 8:19, 2 Kings 2:13, Ephesians 5:27, Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 25:21,
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Introduction and Unusual Beginning
I want to start at an unusual place for a study on Elijah. Let’s turn to 2 Timothy chapter four.
This message is about Elijah finishing his course and running his race. He ran a lot throughout his life, but he finally reached the climax and finished his journey.
I hope that in this lesson we can learn that our purpose is to pass our spirit on to someone else. We need to live so others will want the spirit we have. At the end, when our chariot comes, we should leave a mantle behind. Someone else can pick it up and take on the work, hopefully doing even more than we did. That’s the direction we’re heading.
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:5-8 KJV)
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
In 2 Timothy chapter four, verses five through eight, Paul talks to Timothy. He encourages him to be sober, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry. Paul tells Timothy, “Fulfill your ministry.” I talk about this often: knowing our purpose and finding it in God. But have we found it yet? So many Christians never understand what their ministry is. They haven’t found it because they haven’t looked for it. Maybe no one ever told them they have a ministry or are supposed to do one.
But I believe we are all ministers before God. We are all kings and priests; no one is greater or lesser. Sometimes I feel worn down, but we all have a role.
Ministerial Calling, Personal Reflection
So let’s get back to this: fulfill your ministry. What is your ministry? Men, do you see it? Women, are you learning what your ministry is? Have you been called to serve as elders or deacons in our fellowship? If so, fulfill that role, but remember, it might not be your whole ministry.
Paul says he is already being poured out—like a drink offering, poured out for someone’s pleasure. He says the time of his departure has come, that his chariot is at hand. As ministers, we are supposed to pour out our lives for others, and then, when the time comes, our work here is finished.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I’ve kept the faith. The part that I want to emphasize there is that I have finished the course. Will we be able to, at the end of our time, should the Lord tarry, should we not defeat the last enemy? Will we be able to say, at the end of our time, “I have finished my course”?
Can you say that I have fulfilled my ministry? Will we be able to, at the end of our time, to say that in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will reward to me on that day? And not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.
The Judgment and Our Preparedness
When you really begin to understand the coming of the appearing of the Lord, and you understand what transpires at that moment where wickedness is judged, and you see there’s not only a great white throne judgment where sinners are judged, but there also is the judgment seat of Christ.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (Revelation 20:11 KJV)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV)
When we think about being judged, we wonder whether our lives are really in order. Should we be longing for the Lord’s appearing? Are we truly prepared for that moment?
Finishing the Course as True Goal
What I want to emphasize most is that “I have finished the course.” That’s the goal for all of us. If the Lord tarries, and we don’t overcome the last enemy, there will be a chariot for each of us. But there is only one seat in your chariot, just as there was only one seat in Elijah’s. I asked the Lord for a big chariot with many seats so that I could take others with me, but my chariot is only as large as Elijah’s.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
My purpose is not to bring you into my chariot, but to help you find your own. I want to help you reach the place where you can see into the spiritual realm. I want you to know your purpose, fulfill your ministry, and be able to say, “I have finished my course.” Then, when we stand before the Lord, we can hear him say those words we all long to hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:21 KJV)
This doesn’t sound like a shouting message, does it?
Elijah’s Story and Naboth’s Vineyard
Let’s look, if you will, into the book of 2 Kings, passing over just a small portion of the ministry of Elijah. A small portion, Naboth’s Vineyard. I’m not dealing with it too much. I’ll just relate it to you. Naboth was an Israelite who owned a vineyard near Ahab’s palace and Jezebel’s palace. And Ahab lusted after Naboth’s vineyard. He wanted to plant some vegetables in there and have that vineyard. He offered to buy it. And Naboth said, No, I’m not going to lose my inheritance. I’m going to keep my inheritance.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. (1 Kings 21:3 KJV)
Ahab was a powerful king, but he acted like a child when he couldn’t get what he wanted. He went home, lay on his bed, and cried because Naboth refused to sell him the vineyard.
Jezebel saw his disappointment and took matters into her own hands. She devised a scheme with lies against Naboth, accusing him of blaspheming both God and Ahab. Naboth was killed, and Ahab got the vineyard he wanted.
God then sent Elijah to confront Ahab in that vineyard. Elijah boldly delivered God’s judgment, telling Ahab that dogs would lick up his blood in the same place they licked Naboth’s blood. Elijah also prophesied that dogs would eat Jezebel.
Those prophecies came true. If you know the story of Ahab and Jezebel, you know that everything Elijah said happened just as God promised.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
And he spake unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. (1 Kings 21:19 KJV)
And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. (1 Kings 21:23 KJV)
Purpose and Challenges in Elijah’s Life
Later, we saw Elijah running from Jezebel and falling into deep depression under the juniper tree. It became clear that the antidote to depression is a sense of purpose. As long as you lack purpose, you end up staying hidden, feeling hopeless, and wanting to give up, no matter who tries to help you.
Purpose is also what overcomes loneliness, rejection, and self-pity. Discovering your purpose brings fulfillment and happiness. Nothing else can fill that place. Each of us was born for a reason, and God doesn’t make mistakes. We are here on purpose, for a purpose. There are acceptable purposes, good purposes, but God wants us to find his perfect purpose and walk in it.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Purpose lifts us out of loneliness and despair. In Elijah’s life, everything else faded away, leaving only purpose. There was no more desire for a big ministry, or thinking he was the only prophet left. That old thinking was gone. Now, his only reason for existence was to fulfill God’s purpose for him. That’s what we must do as well.
So I ask, do you know what your purpose is? Do you even believe you have one? If not, it’s time to seek God. Get alone, get renewed, listen for his voice, and don’t be distracted by everything swirling around you. Remain still until God speaks in a gentle whisper and reveals your purpose.
Elijah’s Change and the Purposes of Others
Elijah became a different man. He learned that Haseel, the king of Syria, was chosen to deal with Israel in the future. Haseel would persecute Israel, and during a battle, a Syrian warrior would strike King Ahab with an arrow and kill him. Elijah realized that Haseel would fulfill God’s plan for Israel, and that Jehu would be the one to handle Jezebel. Elijah also understood that his role was to prepare Elisha to carry on his ministry.
This shows me that I don’t have to do everything. You have a purpose, too. I’m not the only one here with a calling. I don’t need to worry about every problem or try to solve everything myself. My main job is to raise up others, like Elisha, and anoint the right people to do God’s work.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
For a long time, especially in the early years of ministry, I felt I had to do it all myself. I’m learning now, I don’t have to. Others around me—some are Jehus, some are Haseels—have their own God-given purposes. They will fulfill their calling, and I need to focus on my own.
We all have a purpose, and it’s important to know that you can’t fulfill mine, and I can’t fulfill yours. Once Elijah understood this, it changed him. There is maturity in realizing you don’t have to do everything, and in trusting others to carry out their part in God’s plan.
Elijah and Elisha’s Journey
2 Kings chapter 2. And I’d like to read the first 14 verses. We’ll get the overview, and then I’ll just walk through them and show you what I see here. We’re beginning at verses 1 and 2 in 2 Kings.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho.
And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.
And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. He said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder: Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2:1-14 KJV)
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Spiritual Awareness and Loyalty
Verse 1 marks the final day of Elijah’s life on earth. That moment came. Verses 3 and 5 show that anyone who was spiritually aware could sense that God was doing something important. I believe the same is true today—God is moving in new ways we haven’t seen before. Things feel like a whirlwind, and He’s doing something we don’t fully understand.
In verse 2, Elijah tells Elisha he’s going to Bethel and asks him to stay behind. Elisha refuses and insists on staying with Elijah, showing genuine commitment. Some followers may stay behind, but authentic disciples keep running with us—they don’t leave us alone in hard places.
In verse 4, Elijah tries again, saying he’s heading to Jericho and asks Elisha to stay. Elisha again refuses to leave. At this point, they’ve already traveled about 35 miles together, staying faithful and close.
I remember a time in Griffin when Randy Adler was teaching. He said that between me and Steve, there would be three tests—three challenges we’d have to pass. I believe Elijah and Elisha were facing their own tests as well. Elisha kept passing these, pursuing and refusing to quit, even when others gave up.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
It’s encouraging to see this loyalty and perseverance. Every time Elisha is tested, he stays with Elijah, determined to go the distance. True disciples are the ones who stick with us and follow through, even when things get tough.
Deep Relationship and Spiritual Desire
Elijah tells Elisha he’s going across the Jordan and asks him again to stay. Elisha refuses, saying, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” That makes their journey about 45 miles in a single day, running, walking, and talking the whole time. They keep together through all the tests and difficulties.
By this point, it isn’t about one being above the other. There’s no sense of superiority or distance. It’s just the two of them, close and united. This kind of partnership brings a special sweetness and a clear touch of the Holy Spirit. Their relationship had become very deep and genuine.
When they cross the Jordan, Elijah finally turns to Elisha and asks him what he truly wants. Elijah wants to know Elisha’s heart. Elisha doesn’t ask for positions, fame, or miracles. He doesn’t care about open doors to ministry, the ability to call down fire, or even raising the dead.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
What Elisha really wants is Elijah’s spirit. He wants to have what Elijah has—his passion, his heart, his understanding. Actually, he asks for twice as much. It’s not about wanting supernatural power for its own sake, but about desiring the core spirit Elijah carried.
To me, that’s the greatest compliment anyone can pay. It’s not wanting to look, preach, or act like someone else. It’s wanting their spirit—their heart and their walk with God. That is the highest honor.
Humility and Passing On the Spirit
When Elisha asked for Elijah’s spirit, it really humbled Elijah. It’s a moving experience when someone says you changed their life, or that they want what’s inside you. It’s not something that makes you feel proud, but it brings deep humility. People might think that kind of admiration would be flattering, but it is sobering and humbling.
Studying this made me reflect. I asked God to help me live a life others would desire, a life they would want to emulate. In my notes, I wrote a prayer asking the Lord to make my life something to be desired. I believe the greatest compliment anyone can give you is to say, “I want your spirit.”
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Elijah understood how complex that request was. He knew what it meant for someone to want his spirit above everything else. That’s what I want—a life that others would desire to follow. In ministry, you want someone to want your spirit, but it isn’t easy to give.
You can teach lessons, insights, and scripture. You can show people what you see and help them understand. But giving away your spirit, your heart, is much harder—it can only happen if God opens someone’s eyes. Elijah said the only way Elisha could truly have his spirit is if God allowed him to see and understand precisely what Elijah saw and felt. Only then could Elisha receive what he asked for.
Spiritual Vision and Transfer
And so you preach messages, you try to open scriptures, and you help people see what you’re seeing, hear what you’re hearing, and grasp what you feel and hear and sense that God’s saying in the earth today. And you want people to understand it and see it so badly. You find yourself saying harsh, hurtful things to people. You don’t mean to, but you want them to have your spirit. It’s that you want them to see what you’re seeing so desperately, but you’ve got to understand that it’s not until God opens our eyes that we can see it.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
After this experience, Elisha saw chariots frequently. He hadn’t seen one up until this point. A few chapters on over. Syria would want to come on Israel. And Elisha would hear the word of the Lord, and he’d go tell the king so that the king would set up an ambush for Syria, or they wouldn’t be there, and it just wouldn’t work out for Syria. The king of Syria said, “What’s going on over there?” They said, as a prophet, he knows what you’re doing in your bedchambers. He said, Let’s go kill him. All right. So they go.
Elisha’s servant went out, and he saw all these chariots out there, all the warriors of Syria. And he says, Elisha, Elisha, they’re come to kill us. Elisha walked out. He says, Lord, open his eyes. Let him see what I see., let him see your purposes, and let him understand the spiritual realm. Let him see what I see. And he did, and he saw the chariots of Israel. What greater compliment can be paid than to say I want your spirit?
Separation and Divine Purpose
So they were going along talking in verse 11. There’s another intimate touch, a real sweetness I see here and sense here. In verse 11, the chariot of fire appears, and the horses of fire. Read verse 12 with me, the very first part. And Elisha saw it.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
“And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. He saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.” (2 Kings 2:11-12 KJV)
Some of us have all this stuff inside about sonship. I know most of you don’t even know what I’m talking about when I say sonship.
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19 KJV)
The earth is longing and waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. That is what God will use to bring about his kingdom—the mature sons, not just children, but those who have grown in faith and understanding. In some, this truth runs deep; it becomes a part of who they are.
Ministry, Legacy, and Separation
This morning, I ministered to Mike, and the Lord reminded me how important it is. Everything God puts in us has a purpose. There is no nonsense or wasted effort. God placed those things in us for a reason, and it is for this very time. I asked Mike, “Don’t you want others to see sonship as you do? Don’t you want them to understand maturity like you do?” Just the same, George Hammond learned so much about demonic deliverance and wants others to grasp what he’s learned.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
When someone finally sees what you have seen and understands what you know, it is enlightening and brings joy. Elijah experienced this clarity. His eyes were opened to God’s purposes. Disciples must be able to see as their teachers see.
Then, something unexpected happened—a chariot separated Elijah and Elisha. The very purpose that united them now divided them. This often happens in life and ministry. The same God who brings people together also brings a time of separation.
Whether it’s marriage or ministry, there is a time when God separates what he joined. There is just one seat in every chariot, and each of us has our own journey. The actual question is: Can we come to the end of our course and say we have fulfilled our God-given purpose?
My role as a leader is not to get others in my chariot. It is to show them what I see and pray that God gives them a double portion. My legacy, if the Lord tarries, is to leave behind a purpose and a work that someone else can pick up and continue. The work started with a purpose, and I want someone to come behind me, take up my mantle, and carry on the ministry.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Mantle and Spiritual Legacy
As Elijah was taken up, his mantle came back down.
“He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;” (2 Kings 2:13 KJV)
When a great saint goes to be with the Lord, God’s purpose does not go with them. If I were to leave this fellowship, the purpose of God would remain here. That is why the ministry cannot be built on one person. God’s purposes continue, unchanged. Elijah was taken up, but his mantle stayed behind.
My legacy—what I need to leave behind—is this: after I have met my chariot and fulfilled my course, there should be some Elishas who can pick up my mantle and carry on the work. I pray that God will give them a double portion of what he gave me. When Elijah was gone, his mantle stayed. The purposes of God go on even when the person is gone.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
In verse 15, we see Elisha grieving for Elijah, but he picks up the mantle and goes forward. When he crosses back over the Jordan, the other prophets see it and say, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” This is the most incredible legacy—to leave your mantle for the next generation.
I want our young people not just to know what we know, but to take what we’ve left them and gain even more. Then the next generation gains double, and so on, until finally the church is fully prepared—a bride without spot or wrinkle—that the Lord can present to himself.
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27 KJV)
Finally, there’s going to be a people that’s like him.
Unanswered Questions and Generational Progress
There are still many questions in the Bible that I do not understand. I do not have all the answers. I have learned some things, and God keeps teaching me more as I continue studying.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
There is still a lot I do not know. I hope that my son will pick up where I leave off and learn even more. Then, I can rejoice from heaven with all the saints who have gone before me.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1 KJV)
There is a new generation rising up that will do great things—they will even raise the dead. When Jesus returns, there will be a generation that truly reflects him. I want to be among the witnesses in heaven, like Hebrews 12 describes, cheering them on. If I do not overcome the final challenges, I want my legacy to be evident—my mantle is here for others to take. That is the best anyone can do.
The most incredible legacy is to leave behind a life that inspires others to say, “I want your spirit. I want what you’ve got. I want your anointing.” So I ask myself: What legacy am I leaving? Is my life one people want to follow? Am I so close to God that others wish to the same spirit?
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
I see our church making a difference. People recognize what we have. Even pastors from other churches have told me they want what we have here. Our church faces struggles like anyone else, but when I see our people working together, I appreciate how wonderful it is.
Sometimes other churches struggle to find people willing to serve. Here, people step up even for small things. That spirit is special. Others may want the benefits without the sacrifice, but you can’t have God’s fullness unless you are willing to take everything he offers.
Wholeness in Receiving From God
You can’t just choose the parts of God or faith that you like. You have to embrace all of it. People often want the best parts, the “meaty” parts, but they avoid the tougher things. Yet God calls us to accept everything he offers. Even the difficult parts are essential. I see more people desiring this, and it encourages me greatly. I am confident in our future.
What matters most to me is leaving a legacy and a sense of purpose. I want to leave something behind that others can pick up and do even more with—a double portion. I want our young people to build on what we have started, making things even better for the next generation.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
On the way to church, I reflected on how our kids can visit other churches freely. This unity is incredible. If even more churches fostered this openness, there would be no division. We would all be part of one church, without walls or barriers, just as God wants it to be.
So, I ask you to reflect: What kind of legacy are you leaving? Is your life the kind that others want to follow? When your time comes, will someone pick up your mantle and carry on, saying, “This is God’s man or woman”? My prayer is that I live my life in such a way that others will want my spirit. I pray that I’ll leave an anointing and a mantle. I hope that those who follow will do even more than I have, and that everyone fulfills the purpose God has for their life. May you all finish your course and hear God’s words, “Well done.”
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21 KJV)
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
Prayer for Legacy and Future Generations
Father, I am grateful for what you are building here. Others notice it and desire it. I pray you would help them understand they can’t just take the easy parts; they must embrace your whole truth. We need to accept all of Scripture, not just the parts that are comfortable.
Lord, I thank you for the people around me. I am thankful for the church you have allowed me to lead. I appreciate what you have revealed—visions, chariots, spiritual insights —and I am genuinely grateful for it all. But more than wanting these things for myself, I want those who come after me to have even more.
It is difficult to pass on your spirit to someone else. Lord, I pray that it happens and brings good. Help us remember that how we live today shapes the legacy we leave for tomorrow. Let our lives be ordered so others can look to us and want what we have—want our spirit.
I ask you to guide my children. I pray they will not settle for what we have, but will seek more answers and accomplish even greater things. There is much left to do, and I pray you will lead them forward.
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
The Chariot and Elijah: How to Pass on Your Spirit
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