The Principles of Receiving the Pastor's Heart
by Dr. John Tetsola

And 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; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And 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;
II Kings 2:10-13 KJV

Throughout history, the question regarding one of the most dramatic departures of a man of God and the dramatic beginnings of his successor has brought incredible insight and revelation to how the heart and spirit from one could not only be transferred to another but could be doubled in its impact during the transfer. Many believe that the double portion of Elijah's anointing that Elisha received was in fact the reason why a servant like Elisha would even pursue his man of God up to the point of his departure. However, as the Scriptures reveal to us, the double portion anointing was the result of Elisha's pursuit and not the reason he pursued. There is a reward, not just in heaven but here on earth as well, for those who know that God has linked them to a pastor and who have stayed faithful to their pastor, even through times of adversity. How did Elisha receive the heart and spirit of his man of God? I can tell you how he did not get it. He did not get it in a prayer line. Let us now look at the following principles that released the spirit and heart of his pastor on him.

First, he burned his plow. The plow was his dream, his personal desire, his ambition and his personal plan. He had to burn it to ashes in order to receive his pastor's heart and spirit. Those that surround the pastors today will likewise have to do the same thing to receive the pastor's spirit. They must be willing to let their ambition, their plans and vision die to receive the pastor's heart. It is a biblical principle. An unburned plow will always create an obstacle in the future to receiving the pastor's heart. Elisha sowed his present to reap his future. Those that do not sow in their present are those who are comfortable enough with it never to move on. Or they are those who don't believe they have a future. To receive the heart and spirit of the pastor, you must be willing to sow your present (your ambition, your dream and vision) to receive the future that comes out of serving faithfully the vision and calling of another man. Like Elisha, we must be willing to sow our personal plans to reap our spiritual assignments. You can never take the plows of your present into the promised land of your future. Elisha realized that if he kept what he had, it would be all that he ever had. If he let go of what he had, it would be the beginning of all that he would ever receive. He realized that the seed of sacrificing his ambition, his personal desire, his personal dreams and vision were not just an offering of choice. It was a weapon for movement. Christians today must also understand that the sacrifice of personal ambitions and callings is a movement in the hand of God for promotion. Those that surround the pastor must understand that when something leaves our present, it goes into our future and prepares our future for our arrival.

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.
II Kings 2:5 KJV

The second way he received his pastor's spirit and heart was by disconnecting what others thought in order to follow what he knew. Those that desire the pastor's heart must do the same to receive it. Elisha understood the relationship of focus to your destination. He understood that what you look at the longest will either pull you through or pull you down. He knew that he was not required to defend where he was going to those that were not going there. As we determine to receive the pastor's heart, we must be bold to remain focused on our intended target - the pastor's heart and spirit. People that are for you will either go with you or help you get there. People who are not with you will just have to watch you get there. In your pursuit of receiving the pastor's spirit, you must understand that the moment you open up the door to outside opinion, focus to pursue walks out. The more you listen to the opinions of those not pursuing what you are pursuing, the more your focus will become diluted and the more your destination will become double minded. Those that surround the pastor must understand that the seeds they sow to pursue the pastor's heart and spirit will not bring a harvest if they were to quit. They must understand that even if they were wrong in pursuing a man of God, any attempt to obey God will not go unrewarded.

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.

And 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.
II Kings 2:9-10 KJV

The third way the heart of the pastor is received is by following him without the guarantee of what you will receive as a result of your pursuit. Elisha must have realized that he could not be destined for greatness unless he was connected to greatness. And we must understand that in our pursuit of receiving the spirit of the pastor we are connected to, you will never be destined for greatness until you learn how to connect to greatness. Those that pursue to receive the spirit and heart of their man of God must always realize that the significant seed of sacrifice they sow to follow their pastor had to be sown in faith believing that God has ordained their future, even when their man of God could not see their future. You must be willing to pursue something that you really don't know the end result of. Obedience is going to require you to follow an instruction without an explanation. God is going to tell you to stretch forth your rod, but He is not going to tell you whether the water is going to part. God is going to tell you not to bow before Nebuchadnezzar, but He is not going to tell you if there will be a fourth man in the fire. You must have faith in the God of the instructions as you pursue the pastor's heart, even when your logic can't explain it. You must understand that every time God gives you present instructions, He has a future destination on His mind. God never instructs you because of where you are, but because of where you are going.

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.
II Kings 2:1-2

The final principle to receive the pastor's heart and spirit is that those who surround the pastor must know the power of pursuit. Elisha realized that if he was not willing to pursue, he was not willing to possess. Reckless abandonment will determine realistic achievement. Pursuit is the last step before possession. Pursuit will require you to take a step with nothing. You will never possess anything until the pursuit of going after it overwhelms the passivity of living without it. Pursuit requires more focus than ability. As you pursue the heart and spirit of a man of God, you will be required to move through memories of past failures and hurts. Sometimes our pursuit will require us to pursue through the rejection of our man of God and through the natural insecurity of no guarantee of what we will receive as a result of our pursuit.

In the case of Elisha to Elijah, nobody knew the double portion ever existed until they got to the top of the mountain and Elisha said, "Give me double of what you have." Understand that if you want something that you have never had, you have to do something that you have never done. As we pursue, it silences regret from creating a photograph of what you could have had as you pursued. The spirit and heart of a pastor cannot be entrusted to complacent people.

by Dr. John A.Tetsola