“You're Beginning to Look A Lot Like Jesus”

17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

You remember that song, “It’s beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas,” by Bing Crosby. While this song was reportedly released a few times by various artists, first recorded and released by Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra in September 1951 and there was also a version released by Michael Buble’ in 2011, however, the version I heard was the version performed by Bing Crosby.

As the title hints, “It’s beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas,” is a song that romanticizes the pagan holiday known as Christmas and the signs you’ll see that indicates that time of the year is near. Some of the signs outlined in the lyrics are is the carol that you’ll sing, the toys in every store and the prettiest sight to see, is the holly that will be on your own front door.

Very evocative and festive song that really puts you in the mood for egg nog and Christmas cookies, but when I heard it in my spirit was right after I asked the Lord this one question, what is with all the spiritual warfare I am encountering? This is when I heard you’re beginning to look a lot like Jesus and the way I heard it reminded me of the song, “It’s beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas.” I was like huh?

Oh, The Horror – War of the Worlds

6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Ah yes, the one that took deception to a whole new level. While technically the one I am speaking of, directed by Orson Welles was a radio broadcast adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel and not a film, I just had to add it for this Oh, The Horror message because of the wisdom, my heavenly Father recently spoke to me concerning this.

The War of the Worlds, directed and narrated by Orson Welles in 1938 was presented as a series of mock news bulletins that caused pandemonium because listeners mistook this fake news about a Martian invasion as the real thing, sound familiar. I could drop the mic right there, but there is so much more to this message than that.

Oh, The Horror – The Stuff

17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. 19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 20That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. 22And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.

One of the reasons I included this movie as a part of this seasons, Oh The Horror, is because it’s not just a horror film, but it speaks to the power of advertising and consumerism, a metaphorical representation, if you will, of the dangers of blindly following trends and consuming products without question. The deeper meaning here is that we so want to fit in, be like everyone else to the point where we don’t care if the thing we’re consuming, using, following, is harmful to us, whether psychologically, emotionally, physically or spiritually, we just don’t want to be seen as different. Some such recent examples would be our obsession with cellphones, the COVID vaccines and now yes, AI.

Oh, The Horror – Weapons

1 Peter 5:8 KJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Seeking whom he may devour, catch that. This means that the one seeking, the devil, our adversary, seeks to devour. However, the word tells us that it is a hunt and he can’t devour everyone. This is why he goes around seeking, looking, searching, testing, trying.

Is it you? Is it them? Is it me…

This sounds like the disciples when Jesus tells them, during the Passover meal, one of you will betray me. It is at that time, they all begin to inquire of Jesus, ‘Is it I?’

Oh, The Horror – Let the Right One In

7For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Having seen both versions of the film, I must say the original was the winner in this battle. Touted as a chilling story of prepubescent love between a boy and a vampire, we will examine how this movie is a cautionary tale of what happens when we aren’t sensitive to the warnings concerning who we choose to love and those that we allow into our lives. We must also understand that there are those that you should let in, The Right Ones and if there are the Right Ones, there are certainly, The Wrong Ones. We have a choice here, a decision to make, a one or the other, so to speak, there is no middle ground.

Oh, The Horror – Hell House LLC: Lineage

28He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Oh, The Horror – The Bye Bye Man

1A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. 2A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. 3He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Bearing the tagline, Don’t Speak it. Don’t Say It, tells the story of three college friends whose move into a house unleashes a supernatural entity named The Bye Bye Man, a demon that preys on anyone who says or even thinks of his name, causing them to hallucinate and commit violent acts. They soon discover, the only way to save themselves and those around them, is to keep his name a secret.

We will examine this film to see how urban legends, taboo avoidance and superstition are used to create the perfect environment to strike fear that goes beyond an individual, but can affect communities. As one of satan’s favorite weapons in his quest for keeping all of humanity in bondage, this spirit known as fear is also his delivery system to bring about chaos and confusion where there was once peace and order. But as the Bible reminds us, as children of God and therefore joint heirs with Christ, our armor against this spirit is love.

Oh, The Horror – LongLegs

11Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Set in the 1990’s, LongLegs tells the story of FBI agent Lee Harker, played by Maika Monroe of It Follows fame who is tasked with tracking down an occultist serial killer known as Longlegs, played by Nicholas Cage of Face Off and Con Air, who is responsible for murdering multiple families throughout Oregon. However, in the course of her investigation, she discovers she has a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

What really did it for me was, this movie really delved into the realty that there is a type that satan looks for. I mean he is willing to take anyone he can, you know, seeking whom he may devour, but he does have a type, those ones that truly light up to him like a Christmas tree. This is why you must keep watch at all times and pray.