still catchin up...more from the two ends

from Divine...

p. 47, re: life in the kingdom

"The words and acts of Jesus naturally suggest that this is indeed salvation, with discipleship, forgiveness, and heaven to come as natural parts... The entire biblical tradition from beginning to end is one of the intimate involvement of God in human life - or else alienation from it."

This makes me think about the begining of my course when I try to plot the course of human history and how much humanity has messed up the desire of God: intimacy... God has never and will never give up on man and His pursuit of man, and that in that intimate relationship, "discipleship, forgiveness, and heaven..." "...come as natural parts"

Willard goes on to say that Abraham "believed that God would interact with him now - just as those who later gathered around Jesus did." We can interact with God NOW!