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"...for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
--1 Corinthians 2:10b

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Christmas 1968 -- David Berg's talk to the young people in Huntington Beach -- The Lightclub

By David Brandt Berg - October 25, 1970
David Berg (Continued from part 3)

BUT MARY SAID, "BEHOLD THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD; Be it" -- how? -- "Be it unto me according to Thy Word." Not according to the System, not according to her betrothal, not according to her love for her loved one, not according to her family, not according to the society of even her day, but "be it unto me according to Thy Word." Are you willing to say that: "Be it unto me, O Lord, according to Thy Word?" Not according to what they say, not according to what they do, not according to what they preach, but according to Thy Word. Wow! This gal must have had a lot of faith in the Word of God! Amen? TYJ! TYL!

"And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth."

"AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN ELISABETH HEARD THE SALUTATION OF MARY, THE BABE LEAPED IN HER WOMB!" -- What babe? (Staff member: John the Baptist!) Why? (Staff member: Because he knew that Christ was there.) He was filled with the Holy Ghost, even in His mother's womb, and the Holy Spirit within him, even though he was not yet born, caused him to leap at the sound of Mary, His Lord's mother's voice -- as you'll see by what she said!

"AND ELISABETH WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST." "Oh, you mean people got filled with the Holy Ghost even before the day of Pentecost?" Certain special people. And she spake out with a loud voice and said one of the most beautiful of all prophecies! What was she doing? -- Prophesying! This is commonly known in the liturgy of the church a "The Magnificat," this and Mary's prophecies together. "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." How many times have you heard that? In the Rosary they say this seven times to every time they mention the Lord, they praise Mary. I think that's a little out of proportion. "Hail Mary full of grace, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." Very good saying, praise God, but it's not to be used out of proportion, above praising the Lord, amen?

"AND WHENCE IS THIS TO ME, THAT THE MOTHER OF MY LORD SHOULD COME TO ME? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy! And blessed is she that believed." Now who's she talking about? The Spirit is speaking through whom? (Staff member: Elisabeth.) And who's the Spirit speaking about, "blessed is she that believed"? (Staff member: Mary!) Mary, because she believed the Word of the Lord. Did it take faith for Mary to accept what Gabriel said? -- It took faith! "Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."

(SINGS:) "MY SOUL DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD!" This is a part of that beautiful Magnificat in the "Hallelujah Chorus" of Handel's "Messiah", one of the most beautiful Scriptural pieces ever written, inspired of God by that Jew who was converted to Christ! PTL! Beautiful, beautiful thing, I wish you could hear it some time. "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden."

DID SHE THINK SHE WAS SOMEBODY? She felt she was very small and insignificant, a humble little 16-year-old girl. "For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." Have they? "Hail Mary full of grace, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." The whole Catholic church call her blessed, hundreds, thousands, no doubt millions of times every day, and have for centuries, generations! "All generations shall call me blessed!"

"FOR HE THAT IS MIGHTY HATH DONE TO ME GREAT THINGS; and Holy is His name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." Did God pick for the mother of His Son the wife of the High Priest? (Staff member: No!) The wife of the Roman Governor? The wife of the King? Huh? (Staff member: No!) Wake up! Did God pick the husbands or the wives of the leading citizens of this community to bring the message? Well, perhaps a few. But the Lord regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, He picked a child -- the children!

"HE HATH FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; and THE RICH HE HATH SENT EMPTY AWAY." -- There's one for you to mark! Those over- stuffed toads up there in the average church -- over-stuffed materially, over-stuffed even with churchianity -- they think they have everything. Are they the ones that have received the news? Are they the ones where God is working? Are they the ones that have been baptised with the Holy Ghost? Are they the vessels that God has chosen? No! He passed right over them and came down to a few little humble hungry teenagers -- hungry! He came to the hungry.

WHO ARE THE HUNGRY? -- THOSE WILLING TO RECEIVE HIM, RIGHT? The hungry! "He hath filled the hungry with good things." Has He satisfied your hearts, Beloved? But those rich He hath sent empty away! Think not that they shall receive anything from the Lord. Empty away! What can you give the man who has everything? (Staff member: Jesus.) They've got everything, they don't want Jesus or anything else. They think they've got everything. What can you give the man who has everything? He doesn't even want Jesus! He sent the rich empty away. They think they're full, but they're empty.

"HE HATH HOLPEN HIS SERVANT ISRAEL, IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIS MERCY." Now that has great significance. Through sending Jesus, how did He help Israel? Who are Israel? Who were Israel at that time? The Jews, His church of that day. "In remembrance of His mercy. He remembered what He promised, and in mercy He gave them the Messiah, amen? "As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever." See? In other words, He's fulfilling His Word to Israel.

"AND MARY ABODE WITH HER ABOUT THREE MONTHS, and RETURNED TO HER OWN HOUSE." How do you think Mary looked by this time? (Staff member: She was about three months pregnant.) Do you think it was easy to go home? When do you think it was that Joseph discovered that she was with child? Probably after this visit with her cousin Elisabeth. Do you think it was easy for her to go home? To face Joseph? Gone from home for three months, comes home pregnant? It you were Joseph, what would you think? "My wife was gone to visit her cousin for three months and comes home pregnant!" Do you want to know that he thought? Because this is probably about the time that she came home. Let's turn to Matthew 1:18:

"NOW THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST WAS ON THIS WISE: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily." Apparently Mary hadn't had the courage to tell him what the Lord had said, or if she had, he didn't believe it. Would you believe it if your wife came home from a visit with her cousin and told you, "Well, an angel came along and did this to me." Or, "the Spirit of God came and did this to me." Would you believe it? I doubt if you'd believe it! He probably thought, "Well, my poor wife got in trouble so she's just kind of gone off her rocker and this is the story she cooked up!" So what did God have to do? (Mt.1:20-21 .)

"BUT WHILE HE THOUGHT ON THESE THINGS, THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM IN A DREAM, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins." You know, Mary apparently was so in touch with the Lord and in the Spirit, did it say that the angel appeared to her in a dream? (Staff member:No.) You know, some of us God has to put to sleep before He can get us in the Spirit. Sometimes God can talk to some people easier in a dream or asleep in the Spirit than face-to-face while they're awake. Praise God, I must be one of those, I've gotten a lot of revelations in my sleep. But I've had a lot of them awake too.

"NOW ALL THIS WAS DONE, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN OF THE LORD BY THE PROPHET, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call His Name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." So then what did Joseph do? "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and he called His Name Jesus."

NOW WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY ELSE EXERCISING FAITH! Do you think that was easy? He was willing to live separately from her for nine months, at least six months after he probably discovered it, until the baby was born! Amen? Here's another man obedient and had faith! He was a little confused at first and it wasn't easy, but he obeyed. Praise God?

"NOW ELISABETH'S FULL TIME CAME THAT SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called his name Zacharias after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made sings to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John." Why? The angel of the Lord told him to call him John!

SEE THAT? AGAIN, OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD, AMEN? Obedience is so important! You see, disobedience struck him dumb, but when he finally exercised faith and obeyed the Lord, what happened? Read it: ("His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.") Hallelujah! Now get this next verse: "And fear came upon all them that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noise abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea." (Staff member: Like the newspapers!) That's exactly what I thought about when I read it.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE? WHY ARE THEY SO AFRAID OF US? Let's face it, it's the power of God! They're afraid of God, and you represent God! They're afraid of God! You may be sorry you wanted me to come back down here, 'cause it seems like every time I come down here, I not only keep you a long time, but we stir up more trouble! Praise God! "Fear came on all that dwelt round about them."

THIS COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY AFRAID OF US! Why do they get all uptight when we walk into a church? They're scared! They're afraid! What are they afraid of? I don't think they know what they're afraid of, but it's God, let's face it! Part of it's the fear of the unknown, no doubt, they don't know what you came for, they don't know what you came to do, afraid of what you might do; people are just afraid of the hippies, period! -- and a lot of people are afraid of teenagers! You got'm scared, kids! Hallelujah! You got'm scared!

"AND ALL THEY THAT HEARD THEM LAID THEM UP IN THEIR HEARTS, SAYING, WHAT MANNER OF CHILD SHALL THIS BE! And the hand of the Lord was with him." Who? (Staff member: John.) Praise God! "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied." Wow! Now how many prophets have we got? Elisabeth prophesied, Mary prophesied, and now Zacharias is going to going to prophesy! Praise God, aren't they beautiful? It sounds like Old Testament poetry, doesn't it? Just beautiful! Beautiful, beautiful! "Saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the World began." How long had this event been predicted?-Since God talked with Eve in the Garden of Eden! "Her seed shall crush thy head." (Gen.3:15 .)

"THAT WE SHOULD BE SAVED FROM OUR ENEMIES, and FROM THE HAND OF ALL THEM THAT HATE US." Do you need that? Do you need that today? God bless you! Get excited! Did you hear what the Lord just promised you? He's going to save you from your enemies and the hand of all that hate you! You'd better remember that, the next time you go yelling through some department store! Now, that doesn't mean they won't arrest you and take you to jail, that's maybe where God wants you. Amen? The guys in jail may need it.

"TO PERFORM THE MERCY PROMISED TO OUR FATHERS, and to remember His holy covenant; the oath which He sware to our father Abraham, that He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life." You mean we're not supposed to be afraid of our enemies? No indeed! The Devil tries to make you afraid, sometimes he does, but that's Devil tries to make you afraid, sometimes he does, but that's one thing they marvelled at them, their boldness, that they weren't afraid! Who gives you that kind of courage?-When you want to prophesy in that church? God has to, praise God!

"AND THOU, CHILD, SHALT BE CALLED THE PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST." Beloved, I believe God is speaking to you here -- can you receive it? "And thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways: to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Praise God? Hallelujah? TYJ! Amen amen amen! "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel." PG!

WELL, THAT WAS MOSTLY ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST, because this was a kind of a private session this afternoon just for you. I guess tonight we can have the Christmas Story if you want anymore. PTL? Hallelujah? TYL! Can you take that to heart? Does that sound like your ministry? "To give light to those that sit in darkness"? Isn't that beautiful? Does that sound like what you're doing? Does it? "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death". How about these kids you're talking to, that are on dope and drugs and whatnot? Let me tell you, they're in the shadow of death! (Continued in part 5)

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family International


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James Arendt
James Arendt

My name is James Arendt. I was raised in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, served in the USAF from 1970 to 1974, and became a full-time missionary for Christ living 40 years in Japan, 3.5 years in Russia, and a few months in other countries such as Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China where I also served the King of Kings, Jesus, as an Ambassador for His Kingdom. My full bio.

On September 24, 2023, I had an accident and broke the bone of the tip of my left elbow. A boy ran in front of my motorbike less than 2 meters from me as I was leaving home. I stopped suddenly and my front tire slid on the sandy concrete road which caused me to fall. I did not hit the boy. On October 18th I had surgery done on my elbow. The doctor put in titanium rods to hold my bones together. The entire procedure including an entire week in the hospital was roughly $4000 USD. This was done in the Philippines where my wife and I have been living since June this year.


X-rays of bone before and after surgery that inserted titanium rods to reinforce my broken bone.

Before and after one week in the hospital.

Undergoing therapy to bend my arm again.
I'm now undergoing therapy to be able to bend my arm again.

It would be a super blessing to us if any of the visitors of this website can help us cover this expense!

You don't need a PayPay account to send me a donation! Just click on the donate button and you will see an option to send through your debit or credit card.


Or if you have a PayPal account, just log into it and send to my PayPal ID:
james.arendt@jamesjpn.net


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