Arrival in India and Youth Congress in Kerala State

The day after I arrived in India I traveled with the Pastor and my Kenyan suite mate to a neighboring state to attend and speak at a Youth Congress. It was a long, grueling (very appropriate word), twenty-four hour trip over five different buses. We left Thursday afternoon and arrived Friday afternoon. I spoke for the vespers that evening. There were around 200 young people in attendance from the ages of 15-25.

Here's an excerpt from my journal:

Life is interesting here in India. I've felt a world of emotions the last few days I've been here. I've felt the screamings within and without of the discomfort of culture shock in a radically different environment. I traveled too much when I arrived. That was a mistake. My body was already taxed beyond exhaustion and wrestling with jet lag and time change. It was a blessing however to attend and speak at the Youth Congress in the state of Kerala. I preached on the POWER of grace. If grace is presented correctly I firmly believe it is almost irresistible. There were about 200 young people at the congress. 

I preached on John 10:10 and the abundant life--the victorious Christian life--that Jesus came to give. 

•  John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I shared examples of victorious believers in the Bible--

• Enoch ('walked with God'--Gen. 5:24--means they were in agreement--Amos 3:3--which means he was not sinning for sin causes separation from God--Is. 59:2)
•  Genesis 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. 
• Amos 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 
• Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
• By grace Enoch overcame sin in his life and walked with God.

• Job ('Perfect and upright... fears God'--Job 1:8--'Fear God' is defined as keeping the commandments--Eccl. 12:13)
• Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 
• By grace Job overcame sin in his life and was perfect and upright, a vindication of the character of God to Satan and his host.
  
• Jesus 
• "As the Son of Man He gave us an example of obedience and as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey," Desire of Ages 24.
• Jude 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 
• After reading Jude 24 I started singing the song ~"He's able, He's able, I know He's able...!" :)

Grace is given not only to pardon us from past sins but to empower us to live up to God's highest expectations--to enable us to be just like Jesus by restoring in us His perfect character of love.