God Is NOT Dead, Barren or Silent

This video captures the heart of who we are today. It captures our loss, our suffering, our faith and our hope.

This video captures a message that I am pretty relieved that I could portray. We stayed. My son died and we stayed. My husband buried a son that he yearned and we stayed. We were tortured by grief and we stayed. We stayed because we clung to Truth. We clung to the resurrected Christ.

Isn’t that what it’s all about? When you stand at your crossroad of tragedy, will you turn your back on God or run full speed ahead into him?

I think that is what its all about. But there are some in churches around the country that disagree. There is an outspoken tribe who have taken this video to mark my husband as a false teacher because of three words. Mine. Did. Too. This tribe has taken to the web, the pulpit and the kitchen table to warn people of the evils that come from this message. They believe if an individual hears a message from the Creator they must be delusional or a raving liar.

He has been thrown into the fire with the likes Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy and hormonal teenagers just looking for an emotional experience. Satan himself has even been credited with speaking those words that night.

This message was preached in Kentucky at the one year anniversary of our son’s death.

This message was preached just last month from a pulpit in Alabama.

So is he a false prophet? Is he crazy? I mean his son did just die. He was pressed under a mountain of agony. Couldn’t it just be a message contrived in his mind as a mode of self-healing?

I ask, why would a true believer want to credit anything BUT God? Why would a disciple of the Christ divert the glory from their victorious Savior? And really, why would one who fears the Lord dare deny him his moment of recognition? (Mt. 10:33)

Didn’t David, a man after God’s own heart, recount numerous testimonies of God’s extreme rescue missions? Didn’t David use his redemption as an opportunity for praise? Why would we credit lunacy, coincidence or evil? Is that not blasphemy?

God is a redeemer! He is the redeemer.

I will cry to God Most High,
To God who accomplishes all things for me.
He will send from heaven and save me. Psalm 57:2-3

This message has become a burning in my bones. A godly man is being gnawed on by wolves in sheep’s clothing and the name of the Most High is being marginalized and minimized into a heartless, distant, barren God who does not intervene in the lives of his most beloved.

Today I don’t write this to defend the name of my husband. I write this to defend the name of God I serve.

His name is:

Yahweh Shammah: The God Who Is Present

“And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.” Ezk. 48:35

Yahweh Jireh: The Lord Will Provide

“So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’ “Gen. 22:14

Yahweh Rapha: God Who Heals

“I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you.” Ex. 15:26

Yahweh Shalom: The Lord Our Peace

“Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace.” Jdg. 6:24

El Roi: God of Seeing

“So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, “’Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” Gen. 16:13

Time and time again the holy scriptures reveal a pattern.

We cry.

He hears.

He answers.

He moves.

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles…
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.
The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” From Psalm 34

“And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you.” Psalm 50:15

“He will be very gracious to you at the voice of your cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer you.” Is. 30:19

So did my husband “hear” God’s voice that night? Was it in his ear, his heart or his spirit? I don’t know. I am not such a fool as to claim I understand the workings of the Lord of Hosts. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Is. 55:8

It is written:

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—

These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. 2:9-11

What I do know is that his God showed up. His God was present. His God provided. His God healed. His God brought peace. His God saw him there.

And he said blessed be the name of the Lord!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ... We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us.” From 2 Cor. 1

In memory of: Azaiah Stone DeGarmo- my strength is Yahweh

Sep 10, 2014Serena

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Comments: 15

Anonymous
6 years ago
She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue
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Paul Thrower
6 years ago
If the “voice of Yahweh” were whispering/speaking to someone something contrary to what His word said (compare those who believe that the message of “the virgin Mary” is of God when the message exalts Mary instead of Yahweh) – then I would count such a message as satanic. However, as one who has had words from scripture “speak” in one’s mind – words which registered in the mind almost as audibly as if spoken in one’s ear, this I understand because I have ‘heard’ similar myself. That which I ‘heard’ was not foreign to Yahweh’s word, rather it was directly from scripture that I knew from the study of God’s word, and it applied in the situation. Were such words contrary to scripture, it would be obvious whose voice it was – Satan = our adversary, the cruel one – a liar and murderer from the beginning. If Dan was reminded of a truth by what occured to him as an audible voice, I don’t take issue with such. If he began teaching that he was now a prophet receiving new messages from God and as such was drawing people after himself to hear such messages – to such I would oppose as a heretic.
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- Serena
  6 years ago
  Well said Paul! Beautiful insight.
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Rhonda Marcus
6 years ago
Amen.
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Anonymous
6 years ago
Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Those who are being so hurtful and divisive need to consider that they may be doing Satan’s work for him.
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A.J.
6 years ago
People fear what they do not understand and fear makes people do very ugly things when they let it control them. 🙁 Sorry Dan is being slammed for his beautiful, God exalting testimony. I pray there is comfort in the fact that your family, in some small way, has been counted worthy to share in Christ’s suffering.
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- Serena
  6 years ago
  There is great consolation in sharing in the suffering of Christ. Thank you.
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Jim Deason
6 years ago
Dan and Serena,

For the benefit of your readers who may not have taken the time to check out the links on Serena’s blog post, my sermon was one of the links she posted. To be perfectly clear so that all will know I did not call you by name in my sermon, although I have no problem doing so. I simply did not do it by choice. People we both know and appreciate have listened to the sermon and agree that I neither misquoted you, nor did I misrepresent you.

I am OK with Serena posting the link to my sermon. I am willing to let it stand and for people to listen to it and judge for themselves. I believe that truth was taught there.

Also, you have been very public about your views on God speaking to you and no explanation that you have offered to date that I have read (and I have read a lot, but probably not all) demonstrates to me that you have changed your mind. Your explanations are really no explanations at all. And, because these comments have been public I have felt no necessity to come to you directly when I quoted you; nor have you done the same to me. Your cries of protest sound a little hollow to me.

In your OP Dan, although what you say is literally true about you contacting me, what you leave out is a little misleading and doesn’t present the whole picture. First of all, Serena (in a FB comment) said, “Not only were they not present they have never even spoken to us in person” and that is patently false. It is true that I was not at the funeral. It is true that I have not spoken face to face with you on this subject. But, again, neither her comment or yours take into consideration the whole picture and your readers need to know this.

My conflict with you goes back BEFORE your deep grief. It goes back to when a fellow-elder and I came to Chillicothe at your invitation and our expense to speak in one of your “Weekends in the Word.” You were not there on the Friday night of that meeting, choosing to be somewhere else. We were supporting Mark Hatfield financially and wanted to investigate some of the things that had been reported to us. We found out that the church there was allowing women to speak in your assemblies in violation of 1 Cor 14:34-35. We had a long conversation with Mark (3+ hours to my recollection) the next day and left that meeting with a promise of further study. Mark refused to correspond on the subject and we subsequently stopped his support. You were upset and, yes, you did call me. But our issue at that time was with the man we supported, Mark Hatfield. Mark was articulate enough to explain himself and what he believed. He didn’t need you to defend him.

All of this was BEFORE your son’s passing. I am so sorry that happened to you. My heart aches when I think about the depth of suffering and pain the death of Azaiah has caused you and Serena. I’ve thought about what I would do if it happened to me and I can’t bear the thought. Please believe me when I say I hurt because of your hurt as I meditate upon what you are going through.

But, then, you said what you said, “I’ll never let someone look me in the eye and tell me that God doesn’t speak to us.” It may have been said in the passion of the moment, but it wasn’t posted to the internet until months later. And, yet, here we are, still further down the road, and you haven’t denied that you still believe that happened (at least, to my knowledge). Your best explanation that I have read to date is that you just can’t explain it, and that is no explanation at all. One very close to you has said, “I believe He (God – jhd) talks to us through visions, His word, dreams, through our thoughts and hearts.” I’m not sure you believe all of that, but I am sure (based on what you did say), that you believe part of it. And therein lies the real difference between us.

The complaint that I have not spoken or reached out to you personally, 1) is misleading by not taking everything into consideration, 2) sidesteps the real issue, and 3) is pointless because I am not under obligation to respond to you privately when you say things publicly.
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- Dan
  6 years ago
  Jim,
  There is so much spin and so many important details you failed to include that continuing to engage you is just foolish. Go well.
  Dan
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- Serena
  6 years ago
  When you sit in an ER room holding the dead, limp body of your son and cry out to God over and over and over, then your words will hold weight with me. There is no deeper pain I have felt in this life and I praise Jesus that he came to us in that moment. I praise the Father than he comforted Azaiah’s father. Your comment reeks with arrogance and demonstrates how truly callous you are to those who grieve. I say this that you may be illuminated to the pain you cause others and how destructive you are to the kingdom of God. There are dying souls who need compassion. Please, I pray, dig deep and find some.
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Aubs
6 years ago
I’m sorry this is happening guys. You just can’t give these folks a second thought. It’s a distraction. You know this. Come see us if you are close to Florence for some fellowship. We would love to have you in our home and return the hospitality you gave us.
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- Serena
  6 years ago
  You speak truth.
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JaneAnn Brock
6 years ago
Mr Deason,
I am the one very close to Daniel. My words are my own. It doesn’t matter if he believes me. I believe it. I am 65 and was raised in the church and am a Christian. Having been a gospel preacher for 40 yrs, I am sure you know scripture better than me. But I can sense the love of Jesus in a person’s heart. I sense that you just don’t like Daniel and Serena. From some of your comments, you seem to be holding a grudge from before Azaiah that has escalated. But it is wrong to defame their character.

I listened to your sermon. I just wondered what was your point. I did not hear the love of Jesus in your words but a hardened heart,

I remember that wretched night that Serena Kay called me and said “Mom we have lost Azaiah”. I fell to my knees and cried, pleading with God to make it not true. I was at work and had just witnessed the births of 2 healthy baby boys. I thought God where are you? Why did you let our baby die? Why didn’t you save our baby? What are you thinking Lord? I believe those were Satan’s words tempting me in my darkest hour

But then I heard God and felt His presence all around me as my friends appeared, packed my clothes, and prayed as I started my 3 hr drive. I heard Him sunday morning as Daniel preached just 2 days after his son died. I heard Him as Ed Hughes confessed his sins and was baptized, giving his life to Christ because Ed thought if parents so filled with grief can still praise Jesus, I need Him in my life.

I heard Him as JD Meeboer sang songs of praise at Azaiah’s funeral. I heard Him as I stood to speak, giving me composure and strength. I heard Him as my daughter stood and said “I am Azaiah’s mom and I want to tell you about Jesus”. As she held on to her Bible.

Today I hear Him when Addie tells me she has another brother. But he doesn’t live with them because he lives in heaven with God,

I hear God everyday as He answers my prayers. Why would I talk to God, if I don
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JaneAnn Brock
6 years ago
Cont. From above

Why would I talk to God if I don’t want Him to answer.

Yours words ” I hurt beause of your hurt as I meditate upon what you are going though” are nice but meaningless and arrogant. The passion of the moment exists to this day. You have no idea the hurt a mother feels finding her son’s lifeless body, then doing CPR as her children watch in terror or a father’s hurt and guilt because he was not home.

I pray that you and your family never have such a tragedy, but if you do what better comforter than the loving voice of God.

There are so many non-believers in the world. So much to be done to bring souls to Christ. Seems to me that’s a much more productive journey. I will pray for us all.

And in conclusion just a few random thoughts. The video was filmed the day of Azaiah’s funeral. It was not released until some time later. So at the time of filming, the pain and anguish of Azaiah’s death was raw.
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Rhonda
6 years ago
It doesn’t pay to debate with people who are only interested in proving themselves right, not seeking God with their whole mind, body, and spirit. Your fruit bears you out. You don’t have to explain.

Oh…and to clarify Mr. Deason’s misleading comment, the only speaking that women do in our assemblies are confessing their sins and requesting prayers. Again, truth is being spun to garner support to “his side.”
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