Straight Out of Darkness

By Jeffrey Stoneking

Author Jeffery Stoneking takes you on his life's journey from the pits of depression, despair, and destruction to the freedom found only in Jesus Christ. Straight Out of Darkness is a book one will only want to put down as it is finished. One will be captivated by a God who pursues the worst of sinners and saves them to display His divine power and grace. This is precisely what the book Straight Out of Darkness is all about. 

God pursued author Jeffery Stoneking to his darkest hour, saved him and brought him out of the darkness where he found himself. God gave him a purpose and displayed him as a trophy of divine grace. 

Read and discover what God can do with you and allow Him to lead you straight out of your darkness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hawes & Jenkins Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9781637843550

Book preview

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Straight Out of Darkness

Jeffrey Stoneking

ISBN 978-1-63784-354-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63784-355-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Jeffrey Stoneking

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Hawes & Jenkins Publishing

16427 N Scottsdale Road Suite 410

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

www.hawesjenkins.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter One

The Beginning

Chapter Two

The Desert

Chapter Three

A Guilty Start

Chapter Four

The Wickedness Of My Heart

Chapter Five

The Life In Bondage

Chapter Six

The Rock They Call Bottom

Chapter Seven

When Light Shines in the Darkness

Chapter Eight

The Point Of No Return

Chapter Nine

The Widowed Saint

Chapter Ten

The Redeemed Father

Chapter Eleven

Life in Christ

Chapter Twelve

Being Transformed

Chapter Thirteen

Road Blocks

Chapter Fourteen

Full Circle

Chapter Fifteen

Conclusion

About the Author

Acknowledgements

I cannot express enough gratitude to my mother, Stacey Stoneking, who never once gave up on me, and my father, Fred Stoneking, who could tell me no and not come to my rescue when I was at the lowest point in my life. Because of that I found the rock they call bottom.

My project completion could not have been accomplished without the radical decision of a confused drug dealer named Greg, who gave me a Bible that changed everything about me. I completed this project with the support of my friend Justin Whiteley, who opened his doors to a complete stranger, bringing me into his home and leading me to Christ.

To my caring, loving, and supportive wife, who has an unction of God and a backbone to correct me when I am headed in the wrong direction and with a gentle and loving spirit about her pointing me back to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping me become a better husband, father, and man. I would not be where I am today without your support.

Finally, and most importantly, to the God who called me straight out of darkness, you never once gave up on me, and thank you for your reaching hand that pulled me up from a dark pit of destruction. Thank you for the hope; thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for the freedom and the purpose you have given me.

Thank you for your guidance and your comfort in deep trials. Thank you for allowing me to complete this project. I would never have been able to do something like this if you would not have called me straight out of the darkness, and for that, I am eternally grateful. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen!

Introduction

Why a book? As I sit here early in the morning drinking a cup of coffee, verses of Isaiah still streaming through my soul, and the memoir of John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress, freshly coming to my mind! One man's journey to the Celestial City, Heaven.

I sit here and wonder about his journey, and I can't help but wonder about my journey! A journey through many valleys, hills, and mountains. A journey through many dark places. A journey worth writing about. A journey straight out of the darkness.

I can't help but wonder about the life I used to live and the life I now live because of the Lord Jesus Christ! I can't help but imagine the God who called me straight out of darkness into His marvelous light. I can't help but think of the Lord who took a dope head, a three-time convicted felon, and turned him into a son, friend, brother, uncle, husband, father, disciple, and preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

I can't help but think of the God who moved mountains to bring me to where I am today, and the beautiful thing is that He isn't even done yet. I can't help but think of the God who is rich in mercy. Who alone had the extraordinary power to give me a But God moment. Not just one time, many times!

He alone gave me this God story! He graciously pulled me straight out of darkness and called me into His marvelous light. The story I will share with you isn't half what only my God can do. To be honest, His grace is indescribable, and His reach is far and wide. Let me show you what I mean.

Chapter One

The Beginning

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

I have not always believed that a Creator God could know someone before they were formed in the precious womb of a woman. At first, you may be thinking, how is this even possible? However, once one comes into contact with the Lord Jesus Christ through salvation, it will make sense to you.

The Bible is clear on this matter; God knows life before it has even been formed in the belly. I started my testimony of God's grace here because I believe God knew me before I was formed in the belly. I believe God had a specific purpose in my life. Believe it or not, God has a sovereign plan for your life.

I come from a lower-class family of five boys and one girl. Nothing too special about us. We never had much growing up, but we always had just enough to get by.

I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on August 30, 1986, at 1:10 a.m., to Fred and Stacey Stoneking. Some would say I could be labeled a miracle baby, others not so much. Regardless, I do believe God put me here for a reason.

A purpose to fulfill, and I intend to fulfill it until the Lord calls me home. Everyone is here for a reason, and God also has a purpose for your life. I pray by the end of this you will come to know that purpose and then spend the rest of your earthly existence fulfilling that purpose.

You see, reader, I was not supposed to be born at all, nor my younger brother Brian, if it had not been for God and His sovereign plan. On September 22, 1985, my brother Brandon was born. My mother decided to have a procedure called tubal ligation.

She was through having children. Five months into Brandon's short life, they found him one morning not breathing. Brandon had passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It was such a tragedy that my mother and father bore the rest of their lives.

A couple of weeks after my mother and father laid Brandon to rest, she started feeling sick. She then proceeded to the doctor, because she kept throwing up. As she went to the doctor for a checkup, that's when the doctor told her the shocking news! She was pregnant, and pregnant with me.

The doctor told my mother that tubal ligation failures can actually happen in very rare occurrences. If you would like to call it a medical failure, by all means, do so, but I like to think of it as a miracle. Miracles happen every day. You just have to have eyes of faith to see them.

Most women who have had a tubal ligation operation will