Elisha Rising Conference DVD’s are now available. If you missed this exciting event or would like hear the messages again, order your copy today. Each session is available or as a box set.

» Thursday 7pm – Denny Cline
» Friday at 2pm – Ivan Roman
» Friday at 7pm – Ryan Wyatt
» Saturday at 2pm – Bobby Conner
» Saturday at 7pm – Bobby Conner

Purpose:  We are putting out a clarion call for the joining of generations. In 2005, after a prophetic encounter the Holy Spirit said, “Tell the youth Elijah has come.” Since that time, I and many others in the body of Christ have seen an opening, a hunger, and a drawing of the generations to work together for the glory of Jesus. This event was meant to declare that, tackle issues surrounding this purpose, and bring leaders and those who want to be mentored together. The next generation of leaders is not just coming, they are here.

After his great victory at Mt. Carmel, Elijah experienced a demonic attack sending him running in fear and despair to a cave with a death threat over his life. In his state of mind, Elijah felt alone, finished and hopeless. But God finally opened his heart to see that the most important influence he would have was yet to come. Elijah would go on to form 4 schools of the prophets and in particular mentor a young man named Elisha.I believe this story represents something very important for the church, the body of Christ today. Jesus is leading many sons and daughters to glory as it says in Hebrews 2:10. He is doing it in partnership with fathers and mothers in the faith who have been experiencing the glory of God in our generation.

More was accomplished by pouring into the next generation through Elijah than his personal ministry exploits. So too will more be accomplished by fathers and mothers in the church by pouring into the next generation and helping them step into their calling with wisdom, support and loving relationships to fall back on. All of us as leaders (young or older) make mistakes as we pursue our calling in Christ. But in a time where there is so much “fatherless ness”, it is even more crucial that the church does not mirror our modern culture in this regard. What are some of the things we can do to help young leaders emerge and succeed? Is the body of Christ aware how many young leaders are already stepping into their calling and have a great deal to offer now, not just in the future? Are we ready to put our money and time where we say our hearts are? Do we realize what a double portion really represents?

The ministry of Elijah and the ministry of Elisha:
Though both Elijah and Elisha worked signs and wonders, Elisha was more prolific. Further, a spiritual son of Elijah’s ministry brought down Jezebel, something he was unable to do alone. By the time Elisha came on the scene there were many prophets rising up into their calling, not like the time when Elijah felt alone. In fact he wasn’t alone, but it shows how little relationship was there between contemporaries with Elijah.

This was not so by the time Elisha received the mantel of Elijah and began to move in power and influence in the nation. He was most prominent, but we can see that when Elijah was taken up, Elisha and many of the other prophets who received mentoring in Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and Jordan seemed to know each other and clearly respected Elisha. Elisha was already a leader in his generation and quickly moved into a ministry that carried double the miraculous power of Elijah.

In  a way I would liken the ministry of Elijah to that of John the Baptist and Elisha to that of Jesus. And it’s the ministry of Jesus that we are really after isn’t it.? There will always be a need for the forerunner ministry to call people to the next level. But as much as we love, thank God for, and honor the ministries of saints in the past, we need to reach for the ministry of Jesus in His body in the fullness of redemptive character and power today. The entire earth is groaning in anticipation to see this kind of ministry in the sons and daughters of God.

We can talk all about the next generation and tell them what they should become till we are blue in the face. But unless we commit ourselves to them and the cause that now faces them today, not in the future, they will continue to be held back or like many of us, try it alone. It’s a long lonely journey without fathers and mothers in the church who really love you and are committed to help you rise up into your calling. I am not suggesting this is not going on to some degree. But I believe it is a now priority.

I had a spiritual encounter in Germany while doing a conference with Steve for the first German Elijah list conference in 2005. Ann and I were resting between sessions on Saturday afternoon. She was reading and I was soaking to worship music in our little room.  Suddenly I sat straight up in bed thinking I had just awakened and said, “ Why did you wake me up?” Ann’s response was, “I didn’t wake you up.”  Suddenly the vision I was in came right back at and into me. In the vision a man walked up to me and said, “ tell the youth Elijah has come”. It exploded in my spirit. It awakened something in me.

I had no idea what this could mean at that time and asked Stacey Campbell that afternoon. She said, “ Well the bible indicates he has come, and he will come. But I am not sure either.” Well over the next couple of years I have watched young men and women intentionally looking for and asking for mentoring and father and mother type relationships in the body of Christ. They want what Elisha had. They want relationship with those who have experience in their calling to help them step up and into theirs. They want and honor the experience of mothers and fathers.

They also want to go further than we have gone, but not without a safety net. It’s amazing to me the quality and heart of these young leaders, not just their giftedness, which is also incredible. One of the saddest messages I ever saw was on the back of an RV. Its said, “ We are spending our kids inheritance.” How heartbreaking and unbiblical. Parents are to lay up for children not the other way around.

My prayer for this year and the next few years especially is this.  I pray that  fathers and mothers will recognize the emerging leaders in the body of Christ and reach out to them like Elijah did Elisha. Elijah made a commitment to help Elisha rise up into his calling and Elisha stuck close to Elijah as long as he could serving, gleaning, and ministering along side of him and received a double portion. It’s time for the next generation to rise up and begin to step into their inheritance.