Spectators in the Grandstand

<p>Not only did God leave us the Holy Spirit to walk alongside us during our earthly pilgrimage He also surrounds us with those who were commended for their faith-a great cloud of witnesses or as Williams translates Hebrews 11 and 12 a vast crowd of spectators in the grandstands to encourage us in our walk of faith. These are stories of some of these people told by those who knew them best-friends relatives and in one case an enemy-who knew them when they were not wearing their public masks walking on earth just like us and who were often misunderstood ridiculed persecuted sometimes killed and always making mistakes. Yet they persevered and endured gaining a place in the Hall of Faith.</p>