1. The Jesus Movement—not the Jesus Revolution—forced the false gods to the fringes of society.

   

   

2. When the Jesus movement is forced out of culture, there is a heavy price to pay.

  

3. When the gods who were forced to the fringes by the Jesus movement enter back into the arena, they begin to undo what has been done.

  

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

-John 10:10

  

Demonic Forces

1. Baal: The ultimate Anti-god God.

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.

-2 Timothy 1:3-5

  

2. Ashtoreth: The Seductress. The Enchantress. Ishtar.

“Every woman of the land, in worship of this god or goddess was compelled to perform the act of prostitution by having relations with a stranger in exchange for money at least once in her life.”

-Herodotus

Ishtar is described as “harimtu” or “karkid.”

Translated: “Prostitute.”

They forsook the lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

-Judges 2:13

Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths.

-Judges 10:6

Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served Baals and Ashtoreths.’

-1 Samuel 12:10

  

Baal always precedes Ashtoreth.

  

Couples living together and unmarried:

1950: 100,000

1970: 523,000

1980: 1.6 million

2020: 5 million

Before Judeo-Christian values were eradicated, prostitution existed but was illegal and confined to the fringes.

• Pornography was taboo, and for the most part, kept out of mainstream culture and public view.
• Those who broke the standard would keep it private.
• Other than allusion or suggestion, sexual relations were generally not depicted on movie screens.
• Nudity of any kind was forbidden.
• Any reference to sex outside of marriage was not portrayed in a positive light

   

Artemis works her demonic wiles through intoxication.

  

They cannot compete with you, Inanna (Ishtar). As a prostitute you go down to the tavern and, like a ghost who slips through the window, you enter there.

-Ancient Hymn to Artemis

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.

-Acts 19:23-2

As the ancient Mesopotamians read or listened to the pornographic words and stories of Ishtar, Americans now read pornographic literature and watch pornographic movies in theaters, on their television sets, and on their computer monitors.

-Jonathan Cahn, The Return of the Gods

  

The nation that was once exporting the Gospel to the nations is now exporting and advancing another story, one of demonic origins, prostitution, pornography, and possession.

  

Grind away from men their manliness. Take away from men their zikratu.

-Hittite Hymn

Take away their swords, bows, arrows, and daggers…then put into their hand the distaff and the mirror.

-Ancient Prayer

It is one thing to demasculinize men and defeminize women, but to superimpose the two is quite another.

The demonic goddess Ishtar would often herself appear as a man or woman or attempt to be indistinguishable.

  

Has the goddess Ishtar, Ashtoreth returned to the west from the fringes?

  

If possessed by a male, maleness is a negative attribute.

If possessed by a female, femininity is an attribute of little value and retrograde.

On the other hand…

If male traits are possessed by a woman, they are to be celebrated and admired.

If female traits are possessed by a man, they are to be honored and applauded as a virtue.

  

Take a look at the Female icons of music and youth culture.

  

She adorns a man as a woman, she adorns a woman as a man.

-Hymn of Ishtar

Gate-keeper, O, open your gate! Open your gate that I may enter.

-Words of Ishtar

When I sit in the ale house (eshdam), I am a woman, and I am an exuberant young man.

-Words of Ishtar

Ishtar is known for breaking down sexual barriers.

1.8 million gay and lesbian youth consider suicide each year. One attempt every 45 seconds.

  

The Epic of Gilgamesh describes Ishtar’s rage.

  

The word, “Stonewall” has been used for thousands of years in connection with the goddess of sexuality, long before the Stonewall Riots.

She tears away the wife from a man’s embrace. They snatch the son from a man’s knee. They take the wife away from a man’s embrace.

-Stories of Ishtar

You charge forward like a charging storm. You roar with the roaring storm, you continually thunder. She brought out a magnificent battle and called upon a great storm. She was covered in storm and flood, great lady INANA (Ishtar)…you destroy mighty lands with arrow and strength and overpower lands. You kept attacking like an attacking storm. Kept on blowing (louder) than the howling storm. Kept on thundering louder and louder.

-Stories of Ishtar

   

What does all of this mean?

  

1. The Church has to wake up.

   

If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

-2 Chronicles 7:14

  

2. The Church has to look up.

  

The  effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

-James 5:16

  

The Church has to lift up its head and hands an pray!

  

3. The Church has to lift up.

  

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

-Luke 21:27-28

  

He's making the final preparations!

He is on His Way.

    

  

  

  

  

  

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