JULY 24 "WHO HAVE YOU HITCHED YOUR TRAILER TO?"

"for many had traveled from Israel to Judah during Asa's reign, when they saw the Lord was with him". The truth of the matter is, we can tell when God's Grace is on someone's life and we can tell when it is not. There is a drawing that comes towards those that have God's Grace on their lives. People want to rally behind a winner in the secular world and the same is true in the Kingdom of God, Christians want to rally behind a person who seems to be a winner for God, we call it a "man or woman with God's favor and Grace upon their lives" or as we read in our text, "The Lord was with him". People traveled quite a distance to be with Asa. It wasn't as simple as going to the next block to choose Burger King instead of McDonald's, This was a big move and there may have been family that did not follow. This will no doubt alter their lives, Israel and Judah were at war, opposite spectrum's in life. Was this a wise decision? I would say, yes! Who you follow really can make a big difference in your life, your future & destiny. The reality of life is that we do not all have an equal amount of God's Grace upon our lives.  And God does not pick and choose who He wants to pour more grace, more favor on, we are the ones that choose that. "If you will draw near to me then I will draw near to you". An individual that has a special Grace of God upon their life is not "a lucky individual" it's an individual that has sought God out, in the secret places. "you will seek in me secret but I will reward you in the open". The idea of following and attaching yourself to a man with God's Grace is not just so we can be where it's happening, but it's also the hope that it is contagious, that we will catch on, that we will acquire some of that Grace and Favor and that we to can partake, we can learn and be inspired by this leader (Asa) to do the same. Many congregation members have assigned themselves to a church, that is being led by a man that has resigned himself to retire in that church, to coast, to live and die there, accept a paycheck, accept his parsonage, do his duty to preach that one sermon on Sunday and maybe a Sunday School. That man is simply functioning as any other employee that goes to work in that City, from day to day. The people that have attached themselves to that leader, will suffer the same fate. A slow and dieing faith, a lack of favor and Grace. There's always an exception to the rule I know, but most will not rise above their leaders. Our text today reveals to us a man with God's Grace upon his life, is worth following and attaching yourself too, no matter what the cost, it can affect our future, our lives and sometimes our destinies. Who are you following? Who have you attached yourself to?