Today, at the end of this age, there is need for the recovery of the churches. There needs to be a church in Rome and in every major city in Europe. In the city of Rome there are certainly a good number of saved ones, even among the Catholics. But these true believers are still in the wrong place. If even a small number would take the standing of the church in Rome, there would be a genuine local church there. If that small number standing as the church are not the church, then what would you call them? Some may argue that the church in Rome includes all the believers. But do you think it is possible to bring all the true believers in the Catholic Church living in Rome back to the church? This is impossible. Whether or not we are the church depends upon our standing. If we are standing upon any divisive ground, we are not the church; we are a division. But as long as we are standing on the ground of unity, we are the church in our locality.
The time is short. The Lord is coming soon. As we have pointed out, before His coming back, He needs to complete the building of the church. It would be a shame to Him to come back without finishing this. Look at today’s Christianity. Look at the Catholic Church, the denominations, and the free groups. What a mess! What a confusion! Is not all this a shame to the Lord? How could He come back to such a situation? Where is the fulfillment of His word in Matthew 16 that He will build His church? Where is the church built upon the rock? For the sake of His coming back, the Lord must build the church.
Now I want to say strongly that the Lord must build His church in the territory of Antichrist. Before Antichrist appears, the Lord Jesus must build His churches in Western Europe. Although many Christians are waiting for the Lord to come back, He is waiting for the building up of His churches. Praise the Lord that our eyes have been opened to see the need of the building of the local churches! In Italy, France, Switzerland, England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway there is such a need. How I long that you all would be burdened to go to the major cities in Europe that the Lord might have a church in each of them! You need to say, “Lord, burden me to go to Paris for the church life. Lord, burden me to go to Rome so that You may have a church there. O Lord, burden me for a church in Stockholm.” If you are faithful to the Lord, honest with Him, and willing to be burdened, even five or seven could move to a city to start the church life there. So many cities need a shining lampstand. Paris needs one! Geneva needs one! Western Europe is not a heathen land like Mongolia or Tibet. It is an old region saturated with Christianity. But where is the church? Although this is a land of Christendom, of Christianity, where is the church? Can the Lord Jesus come back to the Church of England? Can He come back to the confusion in the free groups? If the Lord came back today, He would be ashamed because the Bride has not been prepared. Suppose it is the day of your wedding, and your bride is not present. Would that not be a shame to you? Certainly no bridegroom would come, stand, and wait for his bride until he was assured that she was prepared and adorned for him. The Lord Jesus is coming as the Bridegroom for the Bride. But where is the Bride in all of Western Europe?
This is not a matter of doctrine. I hate the mere doctrine of the church. I want to see some genuine, living churches. I do not care for the number that are in these churches. If there could be a church in Rome with a hundred fifty people who are shining, filled with Christ, and immersed in Christ, the Lord would be able to boast to Satan. He could say, “Satan, in your city of Rome I have a shining church!” Brothers, you all must be burdened for the churches in Europe. What is the use of merely studying the Bible, attending conferences, and listening to messages? The Lord needs churches. Young people, the Lord needs churches, and you must bear the burden for this. Surely the Lord desires a church in Madrid, the capital of the old Catholic country of Spain. Who is willing to be burdened to go there? The Lord is calling for this. Who will go to Paris? To London? To Rome? In these dark cities there is no lampstand. Oh, the Lord is calling! Who is willing to be burdened to go to a major city in Europe so that the Lord may have a church there? The Lord is calling! He is calling you and me to bear the burden for the major cities in Europe that He may have churches built up in the territory of the coming Antichrist. Go and tell others that today the Lord needs churches!