It was the first day of eigth grade. I attended a Catholic School and the nun that was going to be our teacher was feared by many. She was very old and her reputation was that she was the meanest teacher in the school. I was afraid before the first day of school even began.

That fear was manifested even more as we sat at our desks and watched what Sister Germaine was writing on the blackboard. When I looked up to see I was surprised to say the least. On the blackboard was my brother's name and my best friend sister's name written in very large letters. Sister Germaine stood up there and said, "I know I have the two siblings of these people in my class this year and I want it made know that I do not like what these older siblings have done and none of their behavior will be tolerated in my classroom.

I was one of eight children, I had 3 others in my family who had gone before me and had this teacher. My brother, whose name was on the board had been the last one to have her. My friend, Lynette had 3 sisters, but only the one whose name was on the board had gone before her. We both looked at each other wondering what our siblings had done to make this nun so mad. It didn't take long to find out. Sister Germaine decided to share what she considered to be the sins of our siblings with the whole class. Lynette and I were mortified as this teacher revealed what she did not like about our brother and sister.

"I will start with Vanessa, she said, that was Lynette's sister. " I have seen her walk past the convent this summer and saw her in her short shorts and I don't believe anyone should dress like that and you Miss Brown, (that was Lynette), I hope you know to never dress like that. She then reminded us again that both of them had been her student previously and their behavior in her class was unacceptable. She then spoke about my brother Charlie. She told the class he was trouble waiting to happen and that if I thought I would get away with it I should think again. Sister Germaine was known for her stack of rulers bound together with a rubber band that she used to crack knuckles with till the student's hand was so red the pain was unbearable. I had seen my brother come home with those red knuckles many times.

When you talk about the fear of God being put into someone that is how Lynette and I felt that day only it wasn't the fear of God it was the fear of Sister Germaine.

Eventually she erased their names from the board and eighth grade went on. It was honestly a year of fear but Lynette and I did all we could to say out of trouble. To be honest my brother and her sister were not bad, it was just her perspective about them, but just looking at her face made you know if you had any wisdom you would not get in her way.

Thankfully, we made it through that class but I never forgot that day when the names of our family members were written on that blackboard. I truly believe it left a fear in me for a very long time, that somewhere, sometime, someone would be writing my name on there and listing all of my sins. In fact that is what I believed about God all the time when I was young. That He was keeping track of everything I had done wrong and that someday He would not only expose me but punish me severely. It was not until much later in life when I learned the truth.

Recently I was watching a live prayer request show. Someone called in and said he was addicted to cocaine, both he and his wife. He spoke about his physical problems and how they didn't even know how they got started on this road of drugs. He was calling out for the Lord's help. He realized there was no other way. As the minister on the program prayed for him, I could see his sins being erased by God, no longer remembered and a clean slate being handed to him. As I sensed that in the Spirit the memory of eighth grade came back to me and also a verse from the Word of God of all that Jesus has done.

I wanted to share this with you because I know many of you are still walking around in guilt and condemnation and those feelings are keeping you from walking in total freedom in Christ. The enemy, like the nun who was my teacher, is forever reminding you of your sin, he puts it right in front of you, and if you could imagine him writing them on a blackboard it would probably sound like chalk being screeched on that blackboard. The sound of his lies makes you both sick and afraid. The noise is so loud and all you see are his accusations against you. And that is what they are. Just like Sister Germaine accused my brother and Lynette's sister of things she did not approve of in reality what they had done was not bad. They were just who they were and I believe Sister Germaine could have had the opportunity to cover their sins with love, instead she chose to expose them. My friends, I pray you will read this Scripture that I am about to share with you and know in your heart the devil is a liar, he is an accuser of the brethren and the Lord does not even listen to him for the sacrifice for you and for me has already been made.

Here is what the Word of God says;

"In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him,

having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.

And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:11-15

My friends, Jesus has wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, He has taken it out of the way, He has nailed it to the cross. Your past, present, future sins have been erased off that chalkboard once you believed in the sacrifice of Jesus. By Him alone are you justified, by Him alone are you set free, and If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.

If you are haunted by your past, by your present or even fear of what you might do in the future, please take your hand, act like you are picking up an eraser, and erase all the enemy is holding against you. Declare your belief in the finished work of Christ, trust Him and Him alone for your salvation and tell the enemy where to go with his lies. God is not listening to them, neither should you. Remember, as far as the east is from the west, He has removed your transgressions. Never again do we have to fear that person standing there, listing all our failures and declaring judgment against us.

Jesus took that judgment, the cross is where Justice and Mercy met and now my friend you can pick your cross up, and walk in faith in the Son of God who gave His life for you.

My desire is for you to know the Truth that will set you free. The truth of the Word of God will convince you that all the heavy burdens you have carried all these years can now be put at the cross and you can rise up and start walking in all that Jesus has for you to do.