The Holy Spirit confirms that the initial part of that inquiry [church outside the Catholic church] is no fairy tale, any more than I myself, and millions of other Christians other than [Roman] Catholic sorts, are invisible.
As to a "bag of chips" the Lord spoke to me (by the Spirit) some 35 years ago, in response to my own whining "oh God. What am I going to do (for a job, career, etc.) ...what am I going to eat?" [whimper whimper]
THat irritated Him.
He was a bit cross with me (I could sense his anger) when he surprisingly replied, as accurately as I can recall, word-for-word the following;
coming as "words" spoken to me internally (as compared to hearing it through my physical ears). I do remember too, being quite stunned. It was unexpected to to not only receive immediate reply in that manner, but the information itself, and the very irritation which I was given to sense that I had caused in Him, all of that together toolme entirely by surprise.
It was one of the first times (if not the first?) I ever heard Him "speak" like that. I had one of those ruh-roh (I'm in trouble now) moments, but still had to thank Him, for all.
It's good to recall from time-to-time the things He has said.
I do tend to forget. We have the Scriptures to go by, too. The written record is like memory,
He of course, does not (forget) unless purposefully doing so, according to Scripture.
Micah 7:19 (NIV)
You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Though the Lord is in many ways rather invisible to us, He is also present wherever His ekklesia is to be found, regardless of ~any~ form of Romanist blathering commentary to the contrary.
He refuses to be held prisoner. He never promised that He would be available only under the auspices and [ahem] tender mercies of the [Roman] Catholic church either.
Whoever told you that, told you that as part of a pack of grievous LIES.
My own personal experience, the experience of millions of others, scripture itself and earliest Church history too, all bear witness against certain and particular Romanisms.
Deal with it.
Your pope is. The prior one did too.
Catholic theologians are. Bit by bit they are coming to grips with it.
Set yourself down and take a look around?
may be you are right but maybe you are not
proverbs tells both of us not to be so sure
I am returned to the Catholic Church after a long and unproductive detour to the Methodists