The intimidation you feel is not from God but from the system. Where do you get the idea that membership means anything to God? The time for His people to be led about by the hand in such a way is long gone. But many, like little children forming a clubhouse with rules to join, want to say who does or doesn't belong. But if you don't belong how has the Spirit of God caused you to call out to the true God as “Daddy”? If He has been sent into the outsiders, then true freedom is also available for the insiders. This means that those in the system have no advantage over those who are not a part of it.

Do you know what you really misunderstand? The way your life operated as an unbeliever is no different than how religious people function. Don't you realize that we were all stuck in the same “That's just the way life is” mentality? But now that you've found God - or should I say, since God found you - where does this desire come from to return to that pathetic concept of life? Were you taken out of your slavery and into His freedom only to trade it off for their slavery? Just look at the religious rituals you have constructed in an attempt to keep yourselves in line!

So, who am I that you would listen to me? If you were to do some research you would no doubt come away quite disappointed in what you discovered. I would have to agree with you when you asked, “Would God send somebody so unqualified on such an important mission?” And yet I'll tell you: be like me, because I'm no different than you! If you hear me - and in that hearing, you hear Jesus - you'll know with a certainty that it is not because of my impressive reputation. And if I am telling you the truth will you consider me your enemy?

Those who are appealing to you with a different concept of freedom aren't being honest with you. Don't you see through their concern into their hidden agenda? Aren't you aware of the techniques they use to get you to seek them out? My God, don't you know they've learned that if they shut the door on you, you'll do whatever it takes to get back in? Of course it's always good when someone seeks you if it's truly for your good, and if it's not just when someone else is watching.

You say you want to live your life by solid, Biblical principles, or that you want to do the right thing, or WWJD … don't you hear the implications of such performance-oriented motivations? Looking to such programs have perverted godly desires.  Think not? The story of Abraham and his TWO sons give a different perspective.

God made a promise that didn't seem to be working, so Sarah decided God needed their help and convinced Abraham to have sex with her slave-girl. Of course it was a mistake, but to them it had the appearance of godliness. Don't you think they prayed for God's will before, during and after the act? You've been there enough times yourself. God didn't give them a child until they ran out of options and saw the impossibility of the promise.

The issue of belonging to God is one of legitimacy. In other words, who is the rightful heir? As with Abraham's sons, the appearance of being first in line is an illusion, and so the miracle child ended up being harassed by his older brother. And it shouldn't take a brain-surgeon to figure out the motivation, for that stupid little kid was getting his inheritance! Ishmael's taunts would have been designed to undermine Isaac's sense of identity, which is the same questioning of your own identity as a rightful heir of God through Christ. How many times has your salvation been questioned? How many times has it been suggested that you don't really belong to Him or that you have a lower standing? How many doctrines have categorized you as illegitimate – as a bastard? Haven't you noticed that the productivity of the flesh always questions the productivity of the Spirit? Its message is that you cannot trust freedom to produce anything of worth! But if you hear the simple lesson of Sarah and Abraham you will find that you have a reason to rejoice when you can't see any fruit, or when it appears as if nothing is happening!