Can I Find God’s Church Today?

ACCORDING TO the World Christian Encylopedia, there are currently 19 major world religions, which are further subdivided into 270 large groups and innumerable smaller ones. Christianity alone is made up of some 34,000 separate groupings and denominations. Many of these world religions have widely differing theological views.

Jesus prayed that all of us might be one (John 17:21)—united in love, harmony, and in our worship of God. Yet religious strife seems to be everywhere in our world today—from doctrinal disputes to religious persecution, riots, and even murders and mass killings carried out in the name of religion.

In 2014, a Pew Research Center study reported that the number of countries worldwide with high levels of religious hostilities had reached a six-year high in 2012.

How can religious beliefs differ so widely? Is there any hope of bridging the chasms that separate us into so many different religions?

It’s no wonder that people these days are reluctant to believe anyone who proclaims one truth—one faith—and calls for complete commitment. At the same time, however, people are looking for something they can hold on to with certainty—a truth to believe in completely.

Some people tell us that truth is an individual matter and they urge us to follow “the God who is in your heart.” However, it isn’t very reassuring to just make up the truth as you go along. When you’re facing difficult times, you need something more solid than that.

So does God have a church today? Does He have a special message for our day that gives us a solid place to stand? Yes, fortunately, God has prepared a special message for us in these times. Jesus has a special message for our day—our generation—which gives us a place to stand. We find it described in the Bible in the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation.