OUR "FAMILY" CHEERS US ON

Then we passed something I never, ever expected to see in heaven, something that struck me as the funniest thing I had ever seen. Yet, when I understood, it was the most encouraging and moving thing I perhaps have yet seen in my Christian walk.

Hebrews 12:1 talks of a "great cloud of witnesses": Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily best us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

I saw that great cloud of witnesses. They are aware of what the Church is doing spiritually. When I am preaching, for example, they are cheering me on, yelling, "Do this, do that, go!" When "half time" comes, every one of them hits his knees and begins to pray. Half time is prayer time. Then they get back up and start cheering again.

It is as though we are in a big game, one that is serious and very real, not a game for fun. And we have some fans who are
cheering us on. They are backing us 100 percent, saying, "Go! Go get 'em! That's right! Go!" If we could clearly understand the scripture about there being one family in heaven and earth, we could hear in our spirits what the part of our family in heaven is saying. If we could hear the cloud of witnesses, we would be successful in every area of our lives. To do this, you simply have to get over into the realm of the spirit.

People ask me from time to time about real family members who have passed on: "Will I see my cousin when I get to heaven, and will I know him?" I truly believe that in God's sight, the importance of our "spiritual family" outweighs that of our natural family. Even though you will recognize your cousin once you get to heaven, you might be surprised to discover that the relationships you place the most importance on in heaven are the ones with the people God has placed in your "spiritual family," not necessarily your "natural family." (Robert Liardon)