The Biblical Truth of Depression -- It Will Shock You!

This morning I was led to post this. It stemmed from a discussion I had with a man who is struggling with Depression. Here is something that I came across about this very touchy subject which I know will cause a stir so to speak.

There are numerous biblical references to depression, one of the human race's most common and distressing afflictions. It is likely that the first humans to experience depression were Adam and Eve, after they sinned against God.  Examples of people in the Bible who suffered bouts of depression are:

Abraham (Genesis 15)
Jonah (Jonah 4)
Job (Book of Job)
Elijah (1 Kings 19)
King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23, etc.)
Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah)
King David (Psalms 6, 13, 18, 23, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 37-40, 42-43, 46, 51, 55, 62-63, 69, 71, 73, 77, 84, 86, 90-91, 94-95, 103-104, 107, 110, 116, 118, 121, 123-124, 130, 138, 139, 141-143, 146-147)

The Bible Teaches That Sorrow Is A Natural Cure For Depression!

That's right, you read that correctly! We learn in Ecclesiastes 7:3 that being sad is a natural part of human life, which makes the “HEART BETTER.” A “countenance” is a person's face. Grieving is a natural part of the human healing process. When you are sad and down emotionally, it is ok and don't ever allow anyone to convince you that something is wrong with you.  Ecclesiastes 7:3, “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better”.

The Bible Commands Every Believer To Be Depressed!

That's right you read that correctly! In fact, God commands every believer in the Bible to “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:9-10). The Bible teaches us HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD through humility, mourning and afflicting yourself (realize one's misery), and then He lifts you up.

Whereas God commands us as Christian believers to weep, afflict ourselves and have a heavy heart; the wicked world tells us the exact opposite. The world tells us that we're supposed to be happy, confident and cheerful all the time or else there's something wrong with us. The world is insane and wrong!

The Bible plainly teaches that if you're not depressed, you're not right with God! The word “afflicted” in James 4:9 is the Greek word talaipōreō and means “to be wretched, that is, realize one’s own misery.” The dictionary defines “wretched” as “very unhappy, full of misery!” There is a huge difference between Godly depression verses unhealthy depression.

Unhealthy depression is when we condemn ourselves over past sins which have already been confessed and forsaken (Hebrews 10:22). Satan tries to discourage believers by continually accusing them day-and-night the Bible says before the throne of God (Revelation 12:10). The Devil's crowd behave just like their father the Devil. We must realize as King David that God is the ONLY one that we have to answer to see Psalms 51:4

Any believer can have peace and complete joy in the Lord Jesus Christ, if we realize the scriptural truth that God is the only one that we will ever have to give account to in eternity. It doesn't matter what anyone else has to say. The Bible strictly warns all mankind against condemning anyone else, because WE ARE ALL SINNERS (Romans 2:1, James 5:9).  So we are Biblically commanded to realize our own wretchedness, which is what the song AMAZING GRACE is all about.

Godly depression is continually realizing that I am a sinner by birth and nature, and saying along with the Apostle Paul, “O wretched man that I am… (see Romans 7:24-25). Godly affliction is thinking about the awful sinful condition of our society, and praying about it, for God to deliver me from evil (Luke 11:4), and praying for my brethren in the Lord (2nd Corinthians 13:7).

Notice that Christ Jesus didn't say “deliver us from sin” in His example of how to pray; but rather, “deliver us from EVIL.” Evil is planned sin. No Christian can live above committing sin, but Christians can all abstain from committing evil (premeditated sin). We are commanded to ask God to deliver us from evil, that is, deliberate sinning.  2nd Thes. 3:1, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.”

I'm not making this stuff up, the Bible teaches that God wants us depressed, that is, (as defined in the dictionary), “to lower someone's spirits; make downhearted.”  Why in the world would God want us to be depressed? Once again go read Ecc. 7:3.

We grow from pain in our soul, if we trust upon the Lord God Almighty and don't commit suicide or turn to sin to cope which becomes demonic. It is often stated that adversity makes men, but prosperity destroys them. UNSHAKABLE FAITH COMES FROM HAVING YOUR FAITH SHAKEN!!!

This doesn't mean that Christians should walk around looking miserable. It simply means that we should continually HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST IN US, which Philippians 2:4-5 instructs and teaches, thinking upon the needs, burdens and things of others instead of ourselves.

Every Christian ought to be sorrowful concerning the gross wickedness of this evil generation. I am saddened daily over abortion, same-sex marriage, public nudity, “sin cities” Las Vegas and New Orleans, drug abuse, blatant government crimes, counterfeit Bibles, lukewarm Christians who support evil, etc., etc., etc.

God have mercy on this spiritually sick generation of fun-seekers! God have pity on this shallow, spineless, TV generation. Unless something is “FUN,” people won't get involved and have no interest, and this especially includes spiritual areas. This is today's lukewarm church scene (U.S.A.) —using Rock 'N' Roll, worldliness, things that are “FUN” to sell a product that supposedly will reignite a dead church and draw everyone to God! Yeah, right! God never intended for church to be “FUN” or entertaining. If your entertainment is God, then God must become entertaining to be worshiped.

Psalms:126:5- 6: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

John:11:35: Jesus wept.

Lastly people - There Is No Such Thing As A “Chemical Imbalance”

This is one of the biggest frauds in our country and society. Doctors commonly diagnose patients with a Chemical Imbalance. There is NO SUCH THING. It is not a scientific diagnosis. There is no test to determine chemical imbalance. There is no way to test or know for certain if someone has a chemical imbalance in their brain. This is why doctors call it a syndrome or disorder. There is a global view that moves from one generation to the next. Each new school of thought is replaced with the next popular trend.  Go LEARN IT!

Therefore, when this period of depression goes longer than it should, we need to then understand it has now become a demonic problem which must be addressed properly with God.

Rev. Bradley Luoma

Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 8

Continued from: 
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 1
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 2
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 3
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 4
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 5
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 6
Symptoms of Spiritual Pollution, Part 7

In my continuation on the blog series Spiritual Warfare from the last time I discussed the critical aspect of demons and your faith.  In this blog aspect I will now finish off what many refer to as the Spirits.  So from our last blog we have learned the demons are angelic creatures created by God.

Examine this: Demons are like massive freight trains raging down the tracks with you being a toad who has been pinned to the tracks.  That train is racing towards you and nothing you can do about it will stop it.  The only thing that is going to prevent you from becoming a toad splat is a third party who is stronger than the train who suddenly intervenes on your behalf.  That third party is God.  It is not God and an angel, not a whole band of angels, not angels plus your praying friends.  This is GOD alone.

So let me discuss holy angels for a moment.  Do you want to upset God who can protect you from demons during your life?  Do not start glorifying a guardian angel or discuss this. God abhors idolatry and idolatry is the worship of created things.  To avoid a painful lesson in how angry God will get with rebellious Christians, I suggest you need to dump the whole angel platform into the trash can.  Angels serve God and angels have nothing to do with you. 

Angels are not a personal squadron who are just waiting for you to tell them where to fly and go.   This idea that we can direct angels about is yet one more example of how big-headed we are.  God has not directed some angel with the assignment of guarding you in life.  So let me say this “you do not have your own guardian angel in life.”  This is a false superstition which man concocted from comments in the Bible, none of comments are based on fact. 

Psalm 91, King David decorates a ridiculous picture of how God will treat us in life. The point of the Psalm is to talk about how glorious God’s protection can be, and King David personally experienced a wonderful example of it.  Celebrating the miracles God has performed, David starts going off on what I shall say is falseness and ludicrous rants. We do not command any angels to assist, only God commands.

We humans have as much knowledge as a rock and egos as HUGE as the universe.  We state words like, “God has given us all guardian angels to protect us.” People get a grip here, this poem is Psalm 91.   Would you want to be held accountable for every “out of whack” statement you ever wrote down to someone you were captivated with?  No, you wouldn’t.  King David was obviously exaggerating.  David used vivid language to try and communicate his extreme emotions. Go try stepping on a venomous snake and see how that works out for you.  Go kick a boulder with your bare foot and see if an angel swoops down to protect you.  Oh, but Jesus said “we would trample on serpents.”  Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ said that.  Go step on that snake right now you’ll quickly discover you’re misinterpreting this passage and maybe others.

If we’re going to grow past spiritual infancy one needs to recognize that not every word in the Bible is God-breathed truth.  Some of it is man ego-breathed.   Statements about God in the Bible are not meant to be taken literally.  God makes these statements “I will remember your sins no more.”  This is the intricacy of God’s will.  So God has amnesia?  Of course not.  To really understand what God wants to teach us, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us the discernment we need.  Not this easy warm fuzzy feeling we acquire and call spiritual awareness.

God is the only One who can protect you from demons, and He will.  God will not entirely shelter you from demons.  On the contrary, God wants the demons to harass you at times. Demons are like snarling dogs who God has chained up so that they can’t reach you, but sometimes God unleashes them upon you.  When God does this act, those demons surge upon you trying to get as much damage done before God flicks them away.  There is only one reason that demons ever attack you: because God wants them to. 

Demons know we are wimps and they can’t wait to get their opportunity to nail us.  They are always hovering around waiting for God to give them permission to attack.  The frustrating aspect for demons is that God never gives them full rights over you.  If God did, they would tear you apart.  Remember:  The train versus the toad?  Terrifying situation isn’t it?  So there is only one source of hope: the mercy of God.  God is good and He carefully limits when demons can access you, how much access they have and what kinds of things they can do against you. 

Every demonic encounter a person has is controlled by God. It is in those moments because God is good.  God will never leave you, nor will He let demons do more damage than He feels is beneficial for the long-term health of your soul.  Okay, so if you’re powerless in this situation and God is the One controlling everything, what do you pray? God isn’t going to take orders from you.   God already knows you want the demons to go away. Here’s what you need to learn: Everything that God does to you in this world is done to draw you closer to Him and strengthen your personal bond with Him. 

How does this work?  Remember the four essential attitudes from the previous blogs?  God uses the demons to help cultivate those attitudes.  Focus on reverence prompts you that God is infinitely stronger than demons are, so do not have to be afraid because God is on your side.  Focus on submission leads you to pray, “Help me to learn everything which you are trying teach me through this experience.”  Focus on dependency steers you away from trying to direct God in your life.  Focus on trust motivates you to keep truths about who God is: He is good, He loves you, and you can count on Him to always do what is best for your soul.

Do you understand spiritual warfare now when it’s explained correctly?  This has everything to do with focusing on God and the desire to fully cooperate with the methods and nothing to do with trying to overcome the enemy. Those four core attitudes are what turn demonic attacks into blessings in your life.  Stay allied to God and allow Him to pour those four values into you.   You shall become more confident, be at peace and not fearful as the oppression by demons envelopes you.  Therefor the feeling of being threatened by demons shall become minimal because of having such deep trust in the One who controls their activity in your life.

I hope you found this blog series helpful.


Rev. Bradley Luoma, Exorcist

Explanation of Demons...Not Ghosts

When you die, you will meet God...

Hebrews 9:27

So the question that gets asked to the Exorcism Ministry is “Do Ghosts truly exist or is this something else?” During these blogs we hope to help you discover the “Biblical Truth” of what the Holy Bible states regarding the phenomena.  This will be a multi-part format that we will be discussing.

Part 1 – What is the Bible stance on existence of what paranormal teams call “Ghosts”? In order to put into perspective this term of Ghosts, we need to establish common ground.  This can found in Hebrews from the Bible.  The writer of the book of Hebrews as some scholars think was the Apostle Paul, as just one whom possibly put “pen to paper” for this book.  The bible verse that Paul instructs those believers in God and those non-believers is “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)

This bible verse is very powerful, which places the foundation to nullify the ability to linger around, not wanting to move into the light or to crossover to be at rest.  These are words which we have all heard in the paranormal community.  This verse should be the foundation in which all paranormal teams use as a basis, but unfortunately very few will.

The reason this bible verse should be a foundation for all paranormal teams to embrace, is because many people in the paranormal world I have encountered do believe in a higher power.  Further adding a majority of these people acknowledge that this higher power has a name they have heard at one point in time or another – GOD.

This higher power is an all knowing, all judging and by definition the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end).  Due to that significance of power held, how therefore can one person withstand the ability to linger around against a higher power in a spiritual form?  A majority of the people in this world do believe that something does happen to us when we die.  A common belief is that we leave our body to be in a spirit form. Now, this is not to get into every single aspect of both religion and the beliefs, but to just lay foundation of the point of a higher power.

Now, let’s examine another Bible verse which nullifies what paranormal people classify as Ghosts. This additional ground floor can be located in another book named Ecclesiastes.  This book is penned by Solomon, the son of King David, from the Holy Bible.  In Ecclesiastes 9: 5 & 6 and 10 we learn about the finality of death and the revelation that God had passed onto Solomon.  Verses 5 & 6 state the following, “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” (NIV)

To further add more validation to nullification of Ghosts, Solomon pens the words in Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (NIV)

The bible verses 5 & 6 of Chapter 9 in Ecclesiastes clearly instruct the future readers that once we die any actions of a person once living lingering around or the desire to linger around for any “unfinished business” as a spirit form is nullified.  As a once living being you will no longer take part or have a hand in, ANY business under the life we now are in. Verse 10 from the same book and chapter adds that whatever you should do, do it now while you are alive (meaning righteous works), because once you pass (i.e. die) you cannot go back and further adds that we as humans face judgment of a higher power to another realm (I.e. Heaven or Hell).

Now, the foundational work has been laid to view the paranormal realm properly.  Therefore, nullifying “Ghosts” and lingering around for any unfinished business cannot exist.  So then if “Ghosts” do not exist based on these key biblical verses (and many others exist – Job 14: 10-12, Luke 24: 37-39, etc…), then what is it that paranormal people curious in the proof of afterlife are encountering? Answer: FALLEN ANGELS also known as DEMONS.

Many people will feel different to this point of view because of the personal experiences that these people have felt.  They feel that a loved one has truly come back to visit them.  The unmistakable feelings of the warmth and love that they felt being around that “presence” which came forward to see them.  The person may have even had the pleasure of certain smells that a former living one once had (I.e. Cologne or Perfume).

However, what they were experiencing is not what they thought to be.  Here’s why, according to the holy bible, Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." The higher power God calls us all to be a prophet to every nation, and God is all-knowing, the Alpha and the Omega.

When the Great War in Heaven took place, Lucifer (meaning shining one, morning star) was the most beautiful angel created by God.  Lucifer was given a lot of knowledge by God of his plans to create a race of beings to love and to worship God.  Angels were created to serve God, but Humans were created to love God or not, which is were free will comes in (another subject for another time).  Lucifer became very angry with this plan as Lucifer felt as an angelic being he and other angels were above Humans.

Due to the actions of Lucifer and those who followed Lucifer, they were expelled and as the bible states a third of the “heavenly angels” of glory were cast down to be away from the glory of God forever.  Since this action was created, Lucifer and those cast with him have a “pure hatred” for man (referring to woman and child too). Therefore, the Fallen Angels also know everything about you (referring to all mankind), before you were formed in your mother’s womb as related scripture that God inspired Jeremiah to pen.

Therefore Lucifer and the unholy realm of Fallen Angels started to tempt man and create deception from the beginning of Adam and Eve.  The Fallen Angels know mankind very well, and they have a customized plan for everyone on this planet.  Why? Unfortunately they too knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb much like God and their hatred against God is for what he loves.

In the next part of this entry we will discuss how these Fallen Angels come against us, so until then God’s Blessings.

Rev. Bradley Luoma

Yearning for a Word from the Other Side

Reverend Mark Hunnemann

As far back as one can go, there is evidence of people who have a visceral longing for spiritual reality—and invariably this is connected with a yearning for communication from “the other side”.  In 2009 I saw my first ghost hunting show and I almost fell off the couch when I first saw indisputable evidence of supernatural activity; I understand the magnetic pull and fascination….. Most investigators will say that at least part of the reason they are investigating is curiosity regarding the afterlife. We intuitively know that for there to be any transcendental meaning/purpose to life, then it is somehow connected with receiving communication from the other side. Hence, some form of mediumistic oracle is present in every culture, from ancient times to today..

Perhaps the most famous of oracles is the Oracle of Delphi, which is in Greece-folks from all over came to hear wisdom from “beyond” regarding all sorts of matters. In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was a center-piece of their culture.May I suggest that deeply prominent in all of our hearts is a yearning for communication from the other side? Have you ever stopped to think that bible is the preeminent oracle? Listen to these words of King David:

Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,

The oracle of the man who was raised on high,

The anointed of the God of Jacob,

The sweet psalmist of Israel.

The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;

His word is on my tongue.

The God of Israel has spoken;

The Rock of Israel has said to me…(2 Samuel 23:1-3)

What we instinctively long for is at our very finger-tips! Pick up your bible, as I just did, and raise it up in the air, and give praise to God for His, true oracle!  The Hebrew word for oracle, used twice by David, has up-to-the-second relevance for us. It is emphatic in accenting the divine origin and authority of what he spoke. It almost gives the picture that David is non-existent (or at least passive), and just the pure word of God is being uttered. In a very restricted sense, David was indeed a medium through which the Living God spoke, and continues to speak to us. Perhaps calling David a medium is harsh on your ears, but he is the one who insisted that his words were oracles. As he says a verse later, the Holy Spirit was speaking through him! When asked what advantages the Jews had, Paul said, “First and foremost, they were entrusted with the oracles (logoi) of God,” (Rom. 3:2) It is an awesome thing to hold a bible in your hands!

Seeing the bible as the true oracle is a point of contact with our culture that has become enamored with mediums. “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Jesus stated. Let me be clear: I am NOT saying the bible is merely the best oracle—it is the ONLY true oracle inspired by the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 1 John 4:1-4 is emphatic that unholy spirits are the origin of other non-biblical oracles (like Delphi).. Where our culture has become so naive and spiritually gullible is in not being aware of supernatural evil.  May I suggest that a watershed issue in our society today is over the nature of oracles? Is not an EVP seen as an oracle--a word from beyond? Are not the words of mediums seen as oracles? Is not ascending the consciousness ladder seeking an oracle? Isn’t quantum jumping oracle seeking? And so on…It is all a mystery unless we have a sure word from God. I have said numerous times before that science is unable to give any definitive understanding of the identity of paranormal entities. That is a theological/biblical issue.         

Pagan spirituality sees mysteries as CONCEALED, except to initiates, but the purpose of the biblical oracle is to REVEAL mysteries—the gospel--to the entire world! Depending on how much was paid, the Oracle of Delphi could utter anything from cryptic to clear prediction of victory in battle. Usually there was a cryptic element.. The beauty of the biblical oracle is that it makes crystal clear what was partially obscure before.(Col.1:26-27)  I find it not surprising that often EVP’s have a cryptic feel about them.

 It is in the oracle (bible) that God speaks to us. Please listen carefully—prayer is when we speak to God, it USUALLY is not when He speaks to us. If we approach prayer in the same manner and expectation in which we approach reading the bible, we are going to get into real trouble…or at least disappointed. There are exceptions, which I do not have time to enumerate. This is an expansive topic, but the Holy Spirit inspired the bible so that it is the very words of God. Prayer is not meant to be an oracle from God to us—it is meant to be communication from us to God. I have heard more miserable heresy come from well meaning people who are addicted to “getting a word from the Lord.” You want a word from God? Read your bible!! If God in His sovereignty chooses to give you a vision, then that is wonderful—just be careful because Satan can mimic very well..

While I am being controversial J. angels are not oracles. Do they speak in the bible…sure they do! However, it is the Holy Spirit’s role to be the agent of an oracular utterance.(see David above) 1 John 4:1-4 contrasts the role of the Holy Spirit revealing truth, while unholy spirits reveal lies and deception. In John 14 and 16 the Holy Spirit is predicted as being the author of the New Testament—secondarily these verses apply to us. The reason I emphasize this is the growing tendency to look to angels or spirit guides to be personal oracles—ANGELS DO NOT DO ORACLES!!!  They serve us as ministering spirits.(Heb.1:14) How many books, teachers,  and mediums/psychics claim authority for their teaching because it is being revealed by their angel??!! We have more people visiting heaven and hell with the help of an “angel” than you can shake a stick at!

The Ultimate Oracle is Jesus Himself (Heb. 1:2) The final and most perfect revelation from the “other side” is a Person—the Second Person of the Trinity. Satan has always done the diabolical mirror image thing. He takes that which is good and holy (God’s oracle) and churns out a million counterfeit oracles. I think it is time we joyfully praise and thank God that, in His kindness and love, He has spoken to us in the bible. It is the answer to the yearning of our hearts..