Following on from last blog on the subject of the fig tree
If we look back at what had just happened before the incidence of the withered fig tree, we can see Mark 11 records that Jesus had come into Jerusalem on the back of a colt. People were waving branches, and worshiping Him, calling on Him to “save” them. (Hoshana), but Jesus knew that was surface adoration, and it would not be long till they were crying, “crucify Him.” This sham was just outward talk and not what was going on inside. So it is with the fig tree: When you see the green lush leaves on the exterior, covering the tree, you expect to see fruit when you search the tree, but instead, for many months of the year, you will not find any figs. Indeed the season for fruit is very short! The external covering is not reflective of what is going on in the inside. How often we sit and warm pews, looking great on the outside, but sham inside and certainly not bearing fruit for His Glory! No wonder, Jesus used this illustration!
As we read in the Matthew 21 account Jesus had recently thrown the money-changers out of the temple, quoting Isaiah 56:7, and telling them in verses 12-13 that “God ordained His house to be called a house of Prayer and they had turned it into a den of thieves”. (WLT) Again on the outside, the Jews visited the Temple, completed the rituals, kept the rules, but it was all sham and they were using God”s house for profit for themselves. Recently, a survey was done asking people what they thought was the purpose of church. 88% of those asked believe church was there to serve them and their families. That means that only 12 % believed it was a place where they could serve others and bring worship and Glory to God through doing so! Shame on us!
I saw for myself last year, many pious Jews marching to the wailing wall, knocking over market stands from those for whom it was not Shabhat, knocking over other people on the road, in their rush to get there and being totally inconsiderate of any other in their eagerness to show God how holy they were. Each one of us can be guilty of covering up the sham with the fig leaves, just as Adam and Eve covered their shame with the same leaves in the Garden of Eden. God wants to see the reality in us, not that we will do everything perfect, but showing an eagerness to win souls and having the faith to believe He will produce fruit through us.
If Jesus had seen one effort in that tree to produce fruit, a seed, a blossom, a nodule where fruit would grow, He would have been encouraged, but there was nothing. We may think we can do nothing to produce fruit for His Glory, but every serious effort we make, He will bless. Oh yes we will fail as we learn, but if we keep short accounts with God, keep open to His leading and look for the opportunities, He will empower us to be fruitful for His Kingdom.

Sorry for the long delay in blogging, but I think we are slowly getting back on track. We are so glad to have had a great time with our kids and meeting up with some of you, but it is wonderful to be back in Greece at this time of the year. The Greeks are getting excited for Easter, the weather is wonderful and mild, with signs of Spring showing everywhere. Snow is still low on the mountains and yet the blossom is on many of the trees making the colors quite exquisite.
Today the pastor was talking about the fig tree and since we have fig trees in our garden, the message got me thinking. At the moment we have bare trees, with not even a leaf, but in no time we will have a show of green fleshy leaves completely covering the tree, but still not a bud or any other sign of a fig coming for another while. It is just not the season for figs.
In Matthew 21:22 & Mark 11: 11-23, we read the Biblical account of how Jesus came hungry to the fig tree which was covered in leaves, but there was no sign of fruit and Jesus commanded that no fruit would ever grow on the tree, which then soon withered. When we read passages like this we become confused as to what Jesus was doing, why He would curse a tree and what does that have to do with us today.
For those who would be tree-huggers, we need to realize that it was not a huge issue to cut down or remove a tree at that time. We all are familiar with cut flowers and love to have them decorate our homes, churches, weddings and graves. We cut down Christmas trees and other trees or bushes and have no problems with it. I read recently, where someone said, that there is more chance of survival being a tree in this world, than a baby conceived in a mother”s womb. Many who would not want to see a tree cut down have no problem accepting that there is a choice as to whether a pregnancy is terminated or not. So this does bring some perspective to our ethics.
NB in the Matthew account in verse 20, that the disciples “marveled” about it, but it doesn”t say they were upset. So, it is unnecessary for us to worry about the tree, but look for the reason it was done. When Peter asked Jesus about the withered tree in Mark 11:23>>Jesus told Him that if they had faith to believe then they could do greater things.
Since coming to live here in Greece, I have realized just what it meant to cause a fig tree to wither. The first year we cut back our fig trees as the branches were taking over the yard and many of the branches were left lying at the back of the fence. After winter was over and things were becoming green again, we noticed that many of the dumped branches had taken root and started to grow. The first couple of years we only had foliage on these trees, but last year for the first, these discarded branches, have started to produce fruit of their own. This made me realize how much power it took to kill that tree, when they are so prolific that even discarded branches re-grow and produce fruit.
Imagine then how much Jesus can use us, who were sinners therefore like discarded branches. We have been saved for a purpose and that is to bear fruit for His Glory. We have been grafted in to the main Branch, can drink from the strength of the Root and then produce fruit in abundance.
This was an illustration to show the disciples that if they had faith to believe in the power of prayer, they would see mountains removed, miracles done and much accomplished. This message is just as real and pertinent to us today. If we believe and if we pray, He will do His Work. What an awesome responsibility we have and what a reassuring privilege to be able to see faith in action!

Thanksgiving is over, third advent Sunday has past with the last approaching fast! Countdown to Christmas and all the hectic that entails has started! How do we prevent ourselves from becoming overstretched in our celebrations?!!
I believe everyone is searching for that answer, but very few find any way to reduce the workload. Even as I think of this blog and realize it is a full two months since I wrote the last one, it makes me realize how busy I have been. Ok, I admit that I have enjoyed the kind of busyness we have at the moment since it involves being with our kids and enjoying our grandkids whom we only get to know in this way every couple of years.
But looking around everything is a flurry of activity for Christmas, unless something happens to stop us flurrying!!! Like an accident, sudden heart attack, death of a friend or even something as simple as snow!!!! This past week we had a stay at home day because of snow. I know many have experienced that kind of day in this winter. In some ways we think we would do so much if we did not have to go out to work, but yet when the opportunity is forced upon me, I somehow flounder and am no longer sure what I should be doing or how best to use my time.
Suddenly, without warning all my plans for the day were shelved and appointments canceled. There was no chance to “pop to the shops” for any forgotten articles for dinner and even though there was plenty to eat at home, it is an unnerving thought that we may run out of something.
Ironically, this happened to me on the same day exactly one year ago, when I ended up in hospital with a broken ankle and many of our plans had to be altered. I figured, I had learnt something over these months about patience and being flexible to the fact that His plans are higher than mine. Yet, when the snow stopped me in my tracks, I realized how quickly I forget the lessons.
As soon as i realized the date, then I began to think on how, at that time, I was able to rest in His care and know I was part of His plan, even if it was not what I had thought would happen. Suddenly, I saw the “enforced free” day from a completely different perspective and it became a good time of organizing and sorting things I seldom get time to do: a time to reflect and think through the events for the holiday period and to arrange appointments.
I saw the day as a respite in a busy schedule and indeed it helped me to see that we do not have to be busy all the time to be effective. The missed things were soon caught up on and our disappointments once again became God”s appointments. Now, I am thankful for the day, happy that the snow did not cause too much chaos, but gave so many people an opportunity for rest, relaxation and a whole lot of fun.
I am trying to keep life simple this year in all areas of life and not to get so caught up that I have no time to appreciate it. I urge that you do the same as you recognize His peace and His timing in the things you do this year. Enjoy the people you are with and reach out to others in need and life will be simpler but more blessed!
Every blessing as we follow His perfect plan for our lives.

Hearken O Daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father”s house. For the King has greatly desired your beauty. Because He is the Lord, worship Him. Psalm 45: 10,11

From not long after I was saved, I heard the call of God to serve Him. I was not certain where or how I would serve Him, but I knew I should train to be a nurse. After working there some years, it was time to go and study towards that end, but at that time I was uncertain how my father would react to that news.
I needn”t have worried as when I chose to speak to him about it God had already prepared him and given him this verse to pass onto me. I am sure I had read it before, but suddenly, it took on a new meaning.
I was humbled that my family realized that bringing kids up to serve God and let them go, was much more important than holding us close and watching us grow older. I was relieved to have the blessing of my parents as I went on with God.
But even more important, I was amazed as I looked again at this Psalm and saw the glories of the Messiah with His Bride. If I had seen the passage written without a reference, I would possibly have thought it was from the Song of Solomon, as it is such a ballad of love.
This thought is not only for women as Jesus calls the church His Bride, referring to everyone who has been saved by His Grace. Imagine! the King of heaven desires each one of us. He sees us as beautiful no matter how young, how old, what shape, size or color.
He loves us with a love enough to die for us. No matter who we emulate on earth, it is unlikely they would be prepared to die in our stead!
He wants us to listen to what He has to say and follow after him.
“Hearken”, means much more than just listen. It means to “listen intently, with a will to obey.” This is the kind of listening we use when waiting for an important, longed for phone call, listening for a child”s cry in the night when they are unwell. Listening with your full attention, ready to move when called!!!
How often do we rush through our time with God and if we do listen it is not even expecting Him to speak and certainly not with the expectancy of getting an answer! We do miss out such a lot in our busyness!
Just in case we did not get the full meaning of hearken, the Psalmist goes further. “Consider” Ponder it! Think carefully about it! When the Lord does speak to us we should carefully consider what He is saying and the great privilege we have of having an audience with and being spoken to by the almighty King of heaven.
Not only hearken and consider, but “incline your ear.” How very often do we talk to someone whom we know is not listening and when we really want to listen to a conversation, we stop whatever we are doing and turn towards the speaker to hear every word.
We have a dog staying with us at the moment and when he wants to hear what we have to say, he turns his ear in the direction of the voice. But if he is enjoying his freedom outside and doesn”t want to respond to the call or whistle to come inside, he keeps the head down and pretends not to hear.
I know we often do that with each other, but it is sad to realize that we sometimes do it with God too! Think about how closely a newly married couple listen to what each other has to say!! Jesus loves us even more than that and yet we often ignore His voice when we do not want to obey!
Today, let us listen carefully and obey joyfully knowing that we are full accepted in the beloved, loved with an everlasting love and serving the King who has made each one of us desirable in His sight!!

This subject of walking has been of special interest to me since I have been “walking for rehabilitation.” Having a problem with lack of feeling in the foot, I have to be very sure that where I am putting the foot is not rough, not slippy and not on too much of a slope as otherwise my foot could not do it, and I would end up on my nose.
Psalm 26 shows the psalmist talking about walking in Integrity v1. Trusting in the Lord, he knew he would not slip because the Lord was leading. Isn”t it true that after we slip in our Christian lives, we think back and realize that our relationship to God had become distant and He was no longer doing the leading?
Verse 3 talks about His Lovingkindness being before our eyes and we therefore walk in His Truth. When we think back to the number of times He has blessed us and the times He has guided us, and we remember that closeness of His guidance and presence, it makes us want to walk closer, to avoid the rough pitfalls by being in his presence.
Verse 7 reminds us of telling of His wondrous works. One of the best ways of remembering what God has done for you, is to recount your story to someone else who wants to know more about God. When we tell it to others, we are blessed by being obedient to the Great Commission as well as reminded of His Love and Care for us through the years. Not many of us are able to just go out and strike up conversations, which immediately become deep theological discussions, but we can all tell our stories, the stories of His Grace and Lovingkindness, and remind others that He will do the same for them, if they trust Him.
Verse 12 reads, “My foot stands in an even place” I understand this verse so much better now. In Christ, no matter what is thrown our way, we will not stumble if our feet have been placed by Him on an even place. When I have to stand for a while, I search out the flattest less rough place I can find and plant my foot on even ground. It is quite amazing how much longer I can stand if these conditions are met. As we live our lives in a relationship with Christ and walk with Him, he takes the rough side of the road and places our feet on even ground.
Therefore as the verse continues, “we can bless the Lord in the congregations.” He gives us that peace that others realize they need and we can lead them to Him. People are looking for security and peace in all kinds of things in this world and many have seen these systems fail. Let us show them, the even place that God has provided for their feet and the peace He has promised for their hearts and minds, not forgetting the hope he has provided for their future.
No wonder David could then continue with Psalm 27 knowing that his feet were on even ground through Grace!

As I continue my walking and reading the Psalms, my foot is becoming more mobile and my soul more blessed by pondering these scriptures!
Psalm 23 is by far the best known of all. It is recited at weddings, funerals and many other occasions. It is committed to memory by most kid”s Sunday School classes and at least part of it can be remembered by many, even unbelievers.
By the time David writes Psalm 23, he has been a shepherd himself so He knows a lot about sheep. Yet, that is no answer as to why we get such comfort from it. It is not a long psalm, but neither is it the shortest, so that can”t be the only reason to commit it to memory.
I believe that because it deals with the main aspects of life all in one Psalm is one reason why we find it so comforting and reassuring. Take a look!
V1: I shall not want! He will provide!
V2: He makes me lie in Green pastures and by still waters! He will give rest and refreshment!
V3: He restores my soul! New strength for each day!
V3: leads me in the right paths: Divine Guidance!
V4: Though I walk through the valley of death…..He is with me! Comfort in Death!
V4: I will fear no evil! Removal of fear!
V5: You prepare a table for me! Bountiful provision
V5: Anointed with oil! Health and Wisdom
V6: Goodness and Mercy shall follow me! Loving and being loved!
V6: I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever! Eternally secure!
The Great Shepherd gives His own life for His sheep!
Note how easily David flips from talking to us one minute and the next to God!
V1-3 he is talking directly to us and from 4-6 he is talking explicitly to God. This shows the intimate relationship David has with his God, when he can talk in the same way as he would with his dearest friend! Throughout the Psalms David alternates between talking to the reader and worshiping the Inspirer!
But on a much more serious note, God can”t do for us what it says in verse 4 onward unless we have let Him do what is in v 1-3 first. We need to allow Him to be our shepherd, to lead and guide us, to restore our souls back to Him before He can prepare the table, walk through the valley, remove the fear or assure us of the fact that our home in heaven is waiting! The promises of 1-6 are for everyone, but the promises of 4-6 will only be enjoyed by those who have made sure that they are guided by the Shepherd through verses 1-3, and that means we have to decide to belong to His flock!!
The promises God gives us here are like the covenants He made with the prophets in the Old Testament. Remember when He prepared the sacrifice, He walked between the sacrifices and He made His promises to bless and to prosper! It was all of Him and all that was required of those who went before us was to trust Him and follow Him! Yet they found that hard to do, just as we do today! Look again at the psalm:
He is
He leads
He makes
He restores
He prepares
He is with me
He comforts
Nothing from us: We don”t deserve it and yet‚Ķ! He gives it all, keeps all the promises and all we have to do is obey the Shepherd.
Isn”t it comforting to think that there is no way we can earn, learn for, work toward or ever deserve our Salvation, yet we can own it in simple faith!
David was certainly not always faithful, always fearless, always where he should have been, but he had learned to trust the Shepherd and even when he sinned to return to the only one who was always faithful and true! Do you know the Shepherd?
No wonder the psalm is well known and loved! It provides us with the entirety of the Gospel in six verses and gives us the hope for the future we are all searching for!

Because of needing to take time to exercise my foot, we recently put up a walking machine for me to use. It helps there is no doubt but after a few days, it got very boring watching the seconds pass on this machine and thinking of the many things I still had to do and could be doing if I did not have to do this exercise! So I decided to read through the Psalms while I was walking and it has made it much more interesting.
I began to notice the many emotions David puts forth in his songs. He ranges from being as high as a kite to being in the depths of despair, and all that can happen inside one Psalm!! It is easy to see why God led David to write these Psalms as they can be of use to us in every area of our lives, whether we need rebuke, encouragement, a lesson on pride or to learn how to worship.
David experienced situations in his life when he was elevated to a high place, down in the deepest depths, bravely facing an enemy, running scared, honoring God in every way, being involved in murder and deceit, sometimes in the wrong place at the right time and other times in the right place at the wrong time! He had the experience to be able to write these truths that we can then receive so much blessing through.
David was not always right, in fact he sinned grievously and yet He went to God with that sin and sorrow. Like us all, he was sometimes scared like when he had to flee for his life, but he brought that to God also. His marriage was a disaster, he suffered severe grief, and insult, at times God was his only companion. It is not likely that we will have to suffer all David suffered or sin as David sinned, but the openness he has in expressing what He feels to his God shows us a lot about his character and God”s love for us.
God wants us to be open and honest with Him in private. He wants us to tell Him exactly how we feel, and just as we are called to worship and adore Him with our words and songs, we can also tell Him how we honestly feel when things are tough. He knows it anyway, why are we so reluctant to acknowledge our need.
Look at the number of Psalms where David starts out fearful or pleading to God for help, rest or protection and by the end he is praising the Lord for the answer to his prayer. Worshipping the King who is our Salvation!
It takes courage to be open about our feelings, but if David hadn”t been so willing to open up, we would not have the books of Psalms to glean from.
Read the Psalms again, take note of the different emotions and situations and how God saved, rescued and protected. It is doing my heart good (as well as my foot,) it will bless your heart too!

While we were in Israel recently we were able to see the narrow gate that is mentioned in Matthew chapter 7 verse 14. It is indeed very small and not only narrow, but low. It was a small opening in a big gate, which was only opened to let one person through at a time to save opening the main gate. Much like in many big garages and workshops today, where there is a small gate for people and a larger one for the trucks or machinery to come through.
Although the story of the narrow gate and the wide gate was familiar to me, I did not realize just how small these gates were. You could not have entered that gate with a cumbersome load. It would have been impossible to get in to the city without unloading your burden. Because of how narrow it is as well as not tall, even luggage carried by your side would not have made it through. This was a good example for Jesus to use as the people of the day would have been very familiar with the difficulties associated with entering into the small gate, as well as with the ease of going in through the wide open main gate, if and when it was open.
By using this illustration for those who are ready to accept a walk with Christ and a journey to Heaven with Him, Jesus was talking of the burdens we have to lay down before we can embark on this journey. He gave many examples in the Bible of people who wanted to come to Him but were prevented by the baggage they carried. The rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19 had too many possessions which he did not want to part with. At that time he thought he could not live without them. It may not be possessions which keep you from trusting Him, but it could be priorities – wanting your agenda before His, passions ‚Äì your desires and dreams need to be fulfilled, or pride ‚Äì egotism and ambition. Some believe they have a privileged position having been brought up in the church just like the Jews who thought they had priority in God”s eyes no matter what they did. Others carry wounds of the past and are not willing to hand these over. There were some tall people in our group and some more muscular built. It made no difference. Some had to bend lower to get through while others had to stand sideways. Doesn”t matter how heavy your load, it had to be put down. There are no special ways to get through the gate, all go the one way and every burden needs to be unloaded to step in through the narrow gate. I know, I physically went through the gate a few weeks ago and that was interesting, but I have never regretted having gone through it spiritually over 40 years ago.
God offers only two ways, the way of blessing or the way of the curse: the way of life or the way of death. You can”t climb over it, or go around it. You can wait till the large gate has to be opened for deliveries to get in but much time could elapse and we are only promised the time we have now on this earth and waiting may be too late. When we are willing to humble ourselves, drop the burden and walk through the gate, He will give us the power to pick up the burden again on the other side and carry it in a whole new way. More importantly, He gives us His presence.
Some of the baggage, He carries for us while we walk along, and others He helps us carry. The burden of sin doesn”t ever have to be lifted again, He has dealt with it, it will never be remembered anymore, so need not be carried. What a promise! He gives us the joy, power and strength to carry the problems He knows we together can cope with. He paid the price, He made the way and in the really tough times, He will carry us!!!
When we take the step, we won”t ever want to be on the other side of the gate again, even though the narrow road is not easy to walk and the broad road is much easier, when we have the peace that passes all understanding, the power of the Holy spirit and the Fellowship of the Lord Jesus, we can continue along the path till we reach the wide open heavenly gate.
I was glad to see the actual illustration from the Bible before me, helping me understand what the people Jesus was talking to were seeing. It gets exciting to realise how Jesus used illustrations of everyday things to talk to everyday people, and we who are believers can use our everyday lives to reach out to the many, who have not yet taken the way through the narrow gate to eternal life.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Psalm 23 v 5
It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord Jesus serves. In the upper room, He washed the disciples” feet symbolizing not only service but also forgiveness. It is definitely necessary for us to see the fact that He, who should have been served was serving the disciples. Normally, the lady who was present in the home would bring round a bowl for those about to eat at the table to wash their fingers in. (This practice is still symbolized at the Passover meal today by the washing of the fingers). However, Jesus took it a step further by washing the feet, showing our need to go the second mile in our service to others.
However, the discussion with Peter is included to show us another reason for the feet washing. Peter was not keen on having Jesus wash his feet,(most likely realizing that they had failed to notice the opportunity to serve each other), but on finding out it was a necessity, He suddenly wanted not only his feet washed, but all of him. When Jesus pointed out that Peter was clean all but his feet, He was making clear that because Peter believed, therefore he was saved, and He was in essence “cleansed. Since feet get dusty and dirty with walking on roads, so Peter in his daily life would be in continual need of feet cleansing from sin and failure and continually need forgiveness from the Lord. In His willingness to wash Peter”s feet, He was showing us how willing He is to cleanse and forgive us.
Even when it was necessary to get ready for Passover, it was Jesus who booked the room and made the preparations. Yes, He serves at every possible opportunity. He takes the first steps toward us every time we fail, fear or when we don”t feel adequate for the task. As we look at this verse in Psalm 23 we see that when all around our enemies are against us, Jesus is preparing a feast for us. Can you imagine it? We are sitting at a table, which our Blessed Lord has prepared for us and all around us enemies are seething because they can”t harm us. The table is laden with all good things and the enemies are salivating as they watch us eat. That knowledge is enough to help us through a tough day, to make us want to serve Him better, too exciting not to tell others about and strengthening and encouraging for whatever lies ahead.
As we look for opportunities to serve Him today, remember, what He does for us. When we face enemies of danger, addiction, weakness, or temptation, feast from the table of provision He has made. He has given us the Holy Spirit as comforter, companion and guide. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He has promised that “when we pass through the waters, He is with us. He will forgive our shortcomings, our lack of faith and give us peace in the midst of all the trouble the evil one can cause.

Having just returned from a trip to Israel, I have so many thoughts and impressions which I have to contemplate, process and digest. In the few days we were there we went from one end of the country to the other and of course each place left a lasting impression.

One of the memories I have was of the Negev desert and the wilderness of Zin. Before going, I was told of its beauty, the wonderful hues and shades which change with the sunlight. However, although all that is true, I had some very different impressions while there, and it left me with fearsome memories. I was struck by the total barrenness of the area. Miles and miles of rocky, sandy land with no water to be seen, except in the few wadis (waterholes) which are few and far between. Not only were there no trees or plant life, but I was struck by the fact that so little wildlife is there. A few Ibex (mountain goats) and very little else.

Thinking back to the Children of Israel, how awful would it be to be wandering in the desert for 40 years and to know nothing else? How terrible to be lost in it! Each area looks the same and without direction one could easily become lost.

At night, the desert is pitch black and very warm, not cooling down much from the daytime. It gives the impression of a black, heavy blanket being thrown over your head, causing a claustrophobic effect. When a breeze does stir up it is a warm wind and the biggest effect it has is to fill your eyes, nose ears and even mouth (if you don”t shut it), with sand.

The Hebrew children were in the wilderness 40 years because of disobedience. How sad! But it is a perfect example of how much we miss when we don”t obey our Lord”s commands or follow in His Will. When we deliberately disobey, we deny ourselves so much of the refreshment of God”s presence and our lives become barren and empty, just like the desert. Not only that, but others are not refreshed or blessed by His spirit flowing through us and therefore lives are not touched for His Glory.

Thankfully, if we have known what it is to walk daily in His presence, we will soon realize how miserable we are in this “wilderness” state and come back to the Lord for forgiveness and renewal. But for those who continue to walk without Christ, they know nothing else but the desert. Some of the Hebrew children were born in the desert and knew nothing but the desert, not realizing the reason for their misery.

We had a pleasant grill in the desert one night with an explanation of the Gospel from the stars, but even then I was thankful for the other team members and glad to get back to civilization at the end of the evening.

Arriving back in fertile area, the green seemed greener, the water more clear and it was like a feast of refreshment for my eyes to see colors other then shades of brown/beige. This reminded me of the blessing of the Holy Spirit in our lives, making our lives fruitful for the Kingdom of God.

The experience left me with the reminder that there is no better place to be than close to the Lord and living in his perfect Will. If you have gotten into a wilderness place, don”t stay. Ask Him to forgive you and fill you with His Holy Spirit. If you don”t know Jesus as your Saviour, He will forgive your sins and bring you out from the desert place if you ask Him to. He says in John 4 v14, “Whoever drinks of the water which I will give him will never thirst, but the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain springing up into everlasting life.”