'On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you, the Son of Man, ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which one of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.'

There are many of us out here who had very strong religious lives as children. Some of us even felt the (spiritual) call to the priesthood as believed in the Protestant churches. I was one of those.

It does not matter what our reasons were. They were many, and probably don't make any sense now. All members of this ministry walked away from those churches and calls and God. But in their own ways they were still searching. I know that I was.

Now we have come back to the one true faith from whence we came. To serve the one and only true God.)

1 Timothy 1:12-17

'I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of who I was the worst. But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and have eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.'

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

'Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessing.

Ephesians 6:11,12

Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

("against spiritual forces of evil", some of us have to take the risk to expose these "forces." Since I risk nothing, for I am nothing, I face God with a clean heart. May he judge me fairly. When the time comes I go willingly.)

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.'