This Far by Grace!: The Incredible Story of One Man’s Journey out of Darkness into God’s Marvelous Light

By D. L. Ellis-Johnson

This book is about God’s grace, mercy, and redemption. One man was destined for tragedy and death as he ventured deep into denigration and a life far from God. He ran from God’s purpose for a very long time, but God’s grace met him where he ended up in a psychiatric hospital. God turned this man’s life from destruction into a compelling story of redemption. He can do the same for you! God’s grace (unmerited favor) is available, and it never ends! Mercy is not receiving what we deserve, and grace is receiving what we have not earned. God’s grace is more than enough!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973689430

D. L. Ellis-Johnson

D.L. Ellis-Johnson has served the church, community, and incarcerated people for more than thirty years. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, he has ministered in twenty-six countries. He is a Bible teacher, Christian educator, theologian, preacher, evangelist, and pastor to many! The founder of Lifeline Ministries International, his vision is to change the world by helping people change. Donald is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, and a doctoral student in Southwestern Theological Seminary, Fort Worth. He resides in the Dallas, TX area USA.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 D. L. Ellis-Johnson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked (KJV) is from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8944-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8943-0 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 5/05/2020

To

My beloved Mother,

Johnnie Lee (Darden) Watson,

you chose life that I might have it

more abundantly!

Thank you.

32708.png

… .But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more

(Romans 5:20).

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1     Who am I?

Chapter 2     Chosen

Chapter 3     The Transfer

Chapter 4     Ashamed

Chapter 5     A Time to be Born

Chapter 6     A Prophecy

Chapter 7     We Are Family!

Chapter 8     Words Have Power

Chapter 9     Sex?

Chapter 10   Curiosity Killed the Cat, Grace and Truth Brought Him Back

Chapter 11   Misfit

Chapter 12   The Prince and The Pauper

Chapter 13   A Teenage Rebel

Chapter 14   Objection!

Chapter 15   Partners

Chapter 16   Summertime!

Chapter 17   Turned On

Chapter 18   Caught!

Chapter 19   Trapped

Chapter 20   Bad to Worse

Chapter 21   Life Changed

Chapter 22   Home Alone

Chapter 23   No place to hide!

Chapter 24   Broke, Busted, and Disgusted!

Chapter 25   Let God Arise!

Chapter 26   Unlearned!

Chapter 27   Stop the World I want to get off!

Chapter 28   Valley of the Dolls!

Chapter 29   Bugged Out!

Chapter 30   Moving Up, then Out!

Chapter 31   Redeemed!

Chapter 32   The Defining Moment!

Chapter 33   Throw out the Lifeline!

Chapter 34   New Year, New Rules!

Chapter 35   Changed by the Holy Spirit

Chapter 36   Glad to be in His service!

Chapter 37   The Valley of Death

Chapter 38   Can a Christian Have a Demon?

Chapter 39   Faith as a Mustard Seed

Chapter 40   An Overcomer’s Prayer

Chapter 41   In the Kingdom!

Chapter 42   A Thousand Words!

Chapter 43   It’s Not Over!

Chapter 44   Better Late Than Never!

Chapter 45   First, the test, then the Lesson!

Chapter 46   In Sum!

Chapter 47   The End

End Notes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful for all the people-good, bad, and ugly-who were involved in my life. You helped me become who I am in Christ today!

I give special thanks and honor to my former pastor and church, Bishop Roy Bryant Senior and The Bible Church of Christ. Bishop, I’ve always said, "You taught me how to live." Thank-you!

I am very appreciative of my former colleagues, supervisors, and administrators in the Westchester County Department of Probation, Westchester County, New York. You knew me before and after. You accepted, encouraged, protected, and helped me grow all the time! Thank you, Commissioner Rocco A. Pozzi, and Nancy M. Lick, retired Chief of Planning, Research and Staff Development (my immediate boss) for giving me a chance to prove that Christ’s redemption works!

I praise my editorial team for your love, kindness, patience, and enormous efforts.

Larena Hurako Jones-Tatum, thank you for being a forever true friend. Your insight and grammatical help in the manuscript (and my life) are invaluable! You are my shero from the 215 Projects… Hallelujah!

Coy Starks, Dallas Theological Seminary, Media Center Director, thank you for your help with this project and others since I’ve attended DTS. Your time and technical skills are a blessing! May God richly bless you!

Benjamin Juliano, my junior editor and (the spiritual son of my right hand), what a gift you are from God! You spent an incredible amount of time in thoroughly editing this book between your college tasks and academic workload. Your help and heart made the project a real success! You will change many generations. God’s Speed!

Larry Joseph Candarelli, my former supervising probation officer, you are the most exceptional editor I know. You redlined and diced many of my court reports, but you always made me look good because of your integrity and professionalism. Thank you for being a saint through the thick and thin. God bless you, Brother Deacon!

Also, I’d like to express appreciation for my most recent pastors, Dr. Tony Evans and Dr. Robert Jeffress. Your outstanding leadership, incredible faith, and spiritual gifts propel me forward in God’s Kingdom agenda. I am convinced that God’s pathway is victorious. Tremendous honor, and thanks to each of you!

And finally, to my family and friends, thank you for your prayers, faith, and hope. You believed God! I am saved, delivered, and healed as the results. Hallelujah forever more!!!

FOREWORD

Minister Donald L. Ellis-Johnson writes this book carefully and thoughtfully. He shows us how God’s Hand is over our lives in every situation. It’s refreshing to know that we are not an accident or an incident. God has a plan for our lives. He knew who we were before He created us. "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5 KJV).

Minister Johnson shares with us his personal story of how God took a perceived tragedy and turned it into a triumph! I use the word perceived because God can turn bad into good. God’s ways are not like our ways. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV).

We have an identity crisis in our world today. People are motivated by what they THINK, even if their notion is wrong. The world needs to hear how God can genuinely mold someone from an abandoned and confused soul into a mighty person of valor. For as he thinketh in his heart so is he (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). As you read this book, put your seatbelts on because God will highlight how you, too, can be transformed.

Remember the experiments our science teachers taught us in school? We raised caterpillars that wrapped themselves in cocoons for weeks. Then, after a transformation process, the caterpillars emerged as beautiful butterflies. Caterpillars release enzymes that dissolve most of their bodies while undergoing this transforming process. They consume proteins, minerals & vitamins while they develop and mature the body parts of butterflies. The caterpillars’ new bodies have nothing in common with their old ones. They have fresh legs, organs & a new reproductive system. Even their digestive system does not work the same as their appetite has changed from eating leaves to ingesting nectar.

A similar process is true for born-again believers. We are changed. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans KJV).

My prayer for you as you read this book is that it will transform you. Someone’s mind is getting ready to change. Your perception of yourself and the world will be different. Your attitude will emerge new. Your understanding of God’s will and purpose for your life will increase. You will even look different after you read this book! So be encouraged. Let him make you brand new.

Bishop Derek G. Owens,