Welcome to Bible Believers Fellowship in the ministry of bbfohio.com and this study of Luke chapter 7 verses 18 through 23 titled, Art Thou He That Should Come? If you have any questions, comments, or prayer requests send those by email to bbfohio at protonmail.com or mail your letter along with any check or money or contributions to support this ministry. The Bible Believers Fellowship PO Box 662 Worthington, Ohio 43085 Donations can also be made at bbfohio.com using the PayPal donation button. We now begin our study of Luke chapter 7 verses 18 through 23 titled, Art thou he that should come? This is part one of two. Some good news and I'm going to let that play. If you look on the wall back there, we have been kind of stifled by this COVID thing and our support for Bibles for South America. We're up to 855 last count. Well, that's as of the beginning of this month. We announced that we were going to make another offering. We've had some of the quarter folders that are over here, fill them up, and that's a Bible. But every $5 you give puts a Bible in the hands of someone in South America, many of whom have never owned a Bible. and some of whom owned a Bible, but it was a corrupt Bible. These are King James Bibles translated into their language. And so that's why we support it. So as of today, we are now up to 895 Bibles. Which means that we're only five Bibles away from 900. And that's where we wanted to be in July. July ain't over yet. So by the end of the month, we will take whatever money is given. Now, please understand you should give over and above your regular giving. We still have to pay the bills. This is to be something the Lord lays on your heart to give to this ministry over and above whatever he's already led you to give in support of the ministry. Amen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. Current events update. Now I was called a liar several times this week and just told I was wrong by a few others and most of them were from the YouTubers who see our stuff. Because I said this in recent current event updates, that's a CEU, that's not a continuing education unit for you nurses. This doesn't count. But current events updates. I said that BLM, Black Lives Matter, is a Marxist organization. They're worse than that. Or they're consistent with being a Marxist, which means they're anti-American, but they're also pro-abortion, they're pro-Sodom, they're anti-Israel, etc. But I just want to demonstrate it from one of the founders of the movement. This is straight from her lips. or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or or is that he was concerned, or is concerned, that there's a lack of perhaps ideological direction in Black Lives Matter that would allow it to fizzle out, as he said, in comparison to others. In other words, watch your ideology. To those kinds of, again, loving criticisms. I think that the I think of a lot of things. The first thing I think is that we actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super ideological theories, and I think that what we were trying to do was build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk. Um, um, we don't. We, uh, are trained Marxists. Um, um, we are. We, uh, are trained Marxists. Um, um, we, we, uh, are trained Marxists. Um, we are. I do that because there's people saying, that's not what she said. That's what she said. And they are trained Marxists, and if you go to their websites, including their Twitter feeds and all that, you will see that they are Marxists. Marxist is the foundation of communism, socialism, and liberalism. And liberalists want to take us into socialism. But communists will always kill them and turn it into communism. That's exactly. They keep calling Venezuela a socialist country. No, it was a socialist country and the commies took over and are killing people now. But they don't call themselves that because they don't want to be losing some of their socialist support and so forth. It's for political reasons. But that's what it is. And I've explained to a number of people in the last month that We don't deny that black lives matter. We believe all lives matter. And the reason why those who say all lives matter are called racists is because that's how Marxists respond. They're liars. Marxists, whether it's communists, socialists, or liberals, are liars. And when they say that you're a racist because you say all lives matter, it's because they don't want you to hurt their narrative and their agenda. That's right. Well, I'm here to hurt it. And I'm not going to stop hurting Black Lives Matter as a movement. And I'm always going to preach all lives matter. Just as we don't preach that God only died for the elect, and we don't preach that God only died for blacks. Jesus died for the whole world. Red and yellow, black and pink. So no one disputed that Black Lives Matter is racist. They didn't write me and say, they're not racist. They're not anti-Jew or anti-Israel or pro-abortion or pro-style anti-American. They just didn't want to be called Marxist. But they didn't review it because we have quoted them and their tweets and their websites and their statements and we just played one on video showing we're documenting what we're saying. We're not making crap up like liberals do and like your news media does. So make no mistake, this is all leading to the Antichrist and the time of great tribulation. Luke 21 is describing what's about to happen. And Jesus said, nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And that word nation is the same word that you used to get anyway on applications and such that says nationality. The word nation is from the Greek word ethnos, which is where we get ethnicity. So we know that it's not just talking about U.S. versus Russia. That's kingdom against kingdom. But it's also going to be race riots, domestic upheavals, all of that. What you're seeing is what we talked about Wednesday in our study with Hosea, talking about their hearts being heated like an oven. And it's all stewing and getting ready to blow. And I already mentioned all that. Nation against nation. But remember, when you see the word nation, Israel was a nation because of who their bloodline was with. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then if they were of the tribe of Judah, it was from a man named Judah. And all 12 tribes were from the men, the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And if you converted and became a part of the nation, like Rahab and Ruth and others, then you were not allowed to go into the regular part of the temple. You had to stay in the outer court. for several generations as your children kept mixing and mixing with Jewish DNA and blood. And then after a few generations, your great-great-grandchildren were received as full blood members of a tribe in the nation of Israel. Now, I am not a racist or a segregationist in this dispensation. In the old dispensation, you wanted to be right with God, you got right with the God of the Jews. And that meant you had to leave whatever tribe you were with and join to the Jews. But in this dispensation, it's neither Jew nor Gentile. There's issues outside of these four walls, but inside the four walls of the church building, and where two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, we're not supposed to look at each other by the skin color. But then what's going to happen under the 70th week of Daniel? They're going to go back to the tribal system, and it'll be all tribes and nations against Jews and followers of Jesus Christ. Physical nation of Israel, the physical blood of the Jews will be the hated and the hunted, but also the spiritual children of God who receive and believe the gospel. And then the millennium goes back to what we see in the Old Testament. Jesus will be King of Kings, plural. And every nation will have a king and a kingdom under Jesus as King of Kings. And those nations will be divided as what we call races. It's a fact. So that's why people say that the Bible is a racist book. Why? Because they read about these previous dispensation, future dispensation, and it is. By definition, in this dispensation, it would be racist. That's how it's going to be. Whether you like it or not, you're going to get over it. So the end time stage is being set and this whole Marxist revival, liberalism and everything. Did that wake you up? Art thou he that should come. That's the title we're giving this study from verses 18 through 23. And we're going to read just all, all what is that? Six verses? Five? I can't count. One, two, three, four, five. Six. I was waiting for somebody to help me. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Yeah, we got it. Hey. Math's not my thing. Sorry. Huh? Math's not my thing. High school wasn't my thing. So we'll start at verse 18 and read through 23. Is everyone there? Got to wait for the Catholics to get their Bible out of their purse. Some of them do. Got it? Everybody there? All right, we're going, verses 18 through 23. Ready? And the disciples of John showed him of all these things. And John calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits, and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard, how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." God's people say, Amen. So Jesus, if you remember our previous study, the verses up above in the context, He just raised a young boy from the dead. A widow woman had lost her only son. He had raised that boy from the dead and given him back to his mom. And then John the Baptist's disciples, being eyewitnesses of this, Go back and report to John. Verse 18 says, And the disciples of John showed him of all these things. And I gave him a testimony, a full report. And John receives this full report of the goings-on in the ministry of Jesus, whom you remember, especially if you've read John 1-3 or so, that John the Baptist's ministry was to be the voice crying in the wilderness, making straight the paths of the Lord, and that Lord he declared to be Jesus, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the whole world. So that's where John is you know, act spiritually in his ministry. And by the way, we're still in Nain, and that's just south of Capernaum, about southwest of the Sea of Galilee, or the Lake of Tiberias, or whatever you've heard many times growing up, you think of that in a certain way. I always think of the Sea of Galilee. And Nain is just below the boyhood home of Jesus, which was what? Nazareth. Born in Bethlehem, but raised in Nazareth. So now verse 19 says, And John, calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? Why? Because John was a prophet, and yet John himself only knew what God told him and didn't seem to understand the Old Testament fully. Think of that. You know, when Jesus came the first time, the main reason they crucified Him is because they didn't know their Bible. And I don't mean just general things, I mean messianic prophecies. You know, we're going to see here in Luke later on, when Jesus was about to be crucified, He prophesied the 70 AD destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus was more than a prophet, but He was a prophet. He died, and about 40 years later, the temple And all Jerusalem is leveled the way Jesus prophesied. Not one stone be left upon another on the Temple Mount. But you know what Jesus said? We'll see it again, but I won't mention it here. He looked and said, if you had known the time of your visitation, He even referred to the day. Well, I don't think He's being literal. Yes, He was. He was being literal. If they'd known their Bible, they would not only recognize him for fulfilling the many messianic prophecies that we're going to mention in a moment again, but the very day was given to them in the Old Testament. But this is a question every sinner must at some point answer. Art thou he that should come or look we for another? On the one hand, you have the Jews who reject Jesus as the Messiah. They're going to receive a Messiah. He'll be the Antichrist. Art thou He that should come? Or look we for another? The Muslims reject Jesus You say, oh, they have Isa in their Koran. Yes. And that Isa is a fake Jesus. It's a false Jesus. Isa wasn't born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, crucified, physically buried, rose again the third day. It's a figment of Muhammad's imagination. Really, he got a lot of it out of Gnostic writings. He actually says that somebody died and posed as Jesus. And that Jesus wasn't really resurrected. That's in Islam. So they went looking for another and they found a killer named Muhammad. Buddhists, they reject Jesus as Messiah and they go looking for philosophy and an attempt to become one with the universe and all that nonsense. Hindus have millions of gods. You go into Hindu and preach the gospel, sadly many of them just say, oh yeah, I'll believe in Jesus, and they just add Him to the millions of gods they already have. That's not the real Jesus. The real Jesus, if you're really receiving the biblical Jesus, He's the way, the truth, the life. There's no room for other gods. And so forth and so on. And so John, I think it's important you grasp that, that's why I'm repeating it. John doesn't seem to understand that Jesus didn't come to destroy everything and set up His kingdom yet. It appears that John is looking for someone to come and wipe out the Romans and set up the Jewish kingdom. But see, that's what happens when you don't rightly divide. And Jews at this point, 30 AD or wherever, right around there, they refused to recognize that there was not just the conquering Messiah, there was also the suffering Messiah. And Jews today do the same. You read Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22, most Jews have never read it. Never looked at it. Why? Because they're basically blocked from viewing it because it looks so much like Jesus fulfilling that Old Testament prophecy. For whatever reason, Luke doesn't mention that. Yeah, Johnny? I just want to mention that we'll be saying something for John not to understand that because we do know his family was up there as far as believers go. Oh yeah. They were in church. He was getting blessed in the womb. When Jesus was in Mary's womb and come walking up to His mommy, He's doing flips. Has He ever do that to you? Do any flip-flops? Was it when I walked up? No, but I believe that baby gets to know the voice of his mommy and daddy more than anybody. And when that baby comes out and knows that voice, that's why when you hold them, they look up like, that's what I've been hearing? But there's something about John the Baptist, when he was in the womb, recognized the voice of God somehow or other. It's like speaking to him from womb to womb. I didn't even do that on purpose. And I spelled that wrong. Will you receive Jesus Christ or look for another is the question. Have you received Jesus Christ or are you still looking for another? I think everyone in this room has professed to have received Jesus. Amen? So verse 20 then begins and says, When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? Now, that's why we know that the English of Britain was the English of the Bible, because if it was written, if English of America was the right language, it would say John the Baptist. But it's like if you talk to somebody from England today, if they go to the hospital, they don't go to THE hospital, they go to HOSPITAL. I go to HOSPITAL. And it almost sounds like they don't know the language. But it's their language, we borrowed it, so... Who's right? So this is THE question. that all conscious human beings ought to ask. Art thou He that should come? And in two chapters, Jesus will confront His disciples with the same question. Look over in Luke 9. Glance at it, and we'll come back to it sometime in probably September. Luke 9, 18-20. Well, maybe December. Chapter 7 is a long one. Luke 9.18, And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him, and he asked them, saying, What? Whom say the people that I am? Jesus is asking them the same question that John the Baptist's disciples asked him. And verse 19, They answering said, John the Baptist. But some say Elias, and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again. So Jesus here is asking, what are all these people, your family, your friends, your co-workers, what do they say about me? Oh, you're John the Baptist, which by this point evidently has lost his head. Or Elias, or one of the old prophets. But look at verse 20, read that with me. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. Right answer. But that's the question that Jesus puts to his own disciples here in a couple of chapters. And as I said, it's a question that every human being has to answer. Or, look we for another. And Jesus answers with a demonstration first, and then his own testimony. Here's the demonstration. Look at verse 21. Read that. And in that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits, and unto many that were blind He gave sight. Art thou ye that should come? Well, let's see. He cured their infirmities and plagues, cast out evil spirits, made blind people to see, And that's a pretty good demonstration. And it's like no other has ever done up to this point and hasn't since. And these fake healers, as I like to call them, they don't heal anybody. They just take your money. And they tell you, if you had enough faith, you'd be healed. If you're not healed, it's your fault. Bye. By the way, we're cashing your check still. And we do take credit. Cha-ching! Making merchandise for people. Jesus never even mentioned having to give a seed faith offering or anything. If you believed and you were in His presence, you were dealing with the real deal. And He healed people. But then He follows up His demonstration with a testimony. Verse 22. Read that. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things he hath seen and heard, how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. You know why he's telling John this stuff? First he let John's disciples see all this healing going on. A whole lot of healing going on, amen? And he let John's disciples see it. Talk is cheap, amen? But then he gives them this testimony, and what he's saying is, tell John this is for real. It's just like the prophets before him foretold. Other places Jesus will say that you search the scriptures and you'll find me. The psalmist says in the volume of the book, it was written of me. And so as Bible believers, they should go to their Bibles and look and see what does God say the Messiah is going to do? And they find out. Let's look at his direct reference, I believe. In general, there are other places that we could turn. But look at Isaiah and chapter 35. Isaiah 35 and verse 6. Isaiah 35. Actually, I don't know why I didn't start, but I'm going to start in verse 3 while you turn in there. Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will come and save you. Now read verse 5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. And that's what he's telling John. Look, the prophet said this is what was going to happen when Messiah comes. Now look at verse 6. Read that. Then shall the lame man leap as an heart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. Now stop and look there. This is another, notice the colon, another place where Jesus quotes part of the verse. Part is a deer. Then shall the lame man leap... How many have seen a deer just leap right over a fence? Now take a guy who couldn't walk. The second Jesus healed...