Mr Snacks,
What I am going to say will no doubt cause some discussion, but I believe from the very center of my being, which is God and his Son, that the truth was always in me and always available to me.
Being that I was exposed to many different churchs/beliefs as a child, I was turned off of all that was taught. The math just never equated. One God and a hundred or more doctrines. Simply put, if 99 were wrong, why not 100? Or, put another way, if all were only partly correct then they could not be correct at all. Truth is truth, not part truths.
Thankfully, I was caused to believe that there was nothing remotely as complicated in "knowing" and "serving" God as I was led to believe in church. Ray, has been such a blessing, not because he is causing me to unlearn years of indoctrination; but rather that he is saying what I knew to be true.
Of course I cannot say I could voice everything, for I never once considered that Jehovah of the OT and Jesus Christ of the NT were one and the same, BUT the moment I heard it from Ray, I
knew it to be true. I knew all of the contentious Scriptures that seemed to contradict, so I guess you could say I knew the truth when I heard it. (How could I know if it were not already there)
This is what I am trying to say, the truth is in us, it is just waiting to be released. This is why truth can be found anywhere at anytime. No one person has the sole handle on truth.
Man seeks to make God available to only a few. Man also seeks to confine God to the four walls of a church or a temple; likewise to the constraints of a doctrine or belief. Man in his blindness and foolishness then "gives" God to whom they may, and if someone with an earnest question dare to ask, they are often looked upon with disdain. (Been there, recieved that)
I am reposting a section that I wrote in another thread to a similar question of yours.
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Ah, but many will ask: "How can I ever know God? I am poor, I cannot afford books or tuition ."
But as you said, knowing and learning of God and his Divinity is not difficult, and no books or tuition is required.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
DO you see the significance in this Scripture. All that needs to known about God, including his eternal Godhead, can be learned from creation from the things HE made, and man is without excuse. But they learned of God, but rejected God; preferring to instead to fall victims to their own imaginations and became fools.
As a side note to this:
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
This is in itself, another very simple truth. If one cannot trust God based all that one has learned from creation, then surely one has become a fool.
Mr Snacks, the TRUTH is available to all. Some seek and never find, while other find and never seek.
I believe that the Truth is something that cannot be found, intead one must be "open" to it. Being "open" does not mean automatically believing everything heard or read.
I would ask you and any other that cares to answer. What is a single truth that is more important to you than the knowledge of God that is to be found in creation. To the point of no man having an excuse for not getting it. Why then did God choose not to make this truth known?
Second guessing God is not a great idea. Can the God which made all things; a flower it's beauty, a sunrise it spectacularness, a sunset its glory; a song bird its song, etc. even be found in any church and the doctrines within?
Just my thoughts, comments welcome.
Your brother in Christ,
Darren