Exodus Moments: Leaving Before Behind

By Roy Lormis

This book will challenge you in every area of your life to make decisions that will propel you into your God-given destiny. We are given opportune moments that will keep us chained to the past or will give us an Exodus Moment. The choices we make at these junctures in our lives will hold us frozen to what has always been our problem or let us move on, Leaving Before Behind. Begin your personal Exodus Moment today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9781626757448

Book preview

EXODUS MOMENTS

Leaving Before Behind

Roy Lormis

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scriptures marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible. Old Testament. Copyright © 1965, 1987 by Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan. All rights reserved.

Exodus Moments

ISBN: 978-1-4675-0082-1

Copyright © by Roy Lormis

P. O. Box 823

House Springs, MO 63051

Cover and Text Design:

Bobby and Lisa Simpson

www.simpsonproductions.net

Printed in the United States of America.

All rights reserved under the International Copyright Law.

Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Author.

"There are heroes in life we all know, but I believe far more unsung heroes exist all around us. Roy Lormis is one of those unsung heroes. I have watched him week after week give his heart and soul to ‘remembering those who are in prison.’ For years he has ministered his heart out to those society has forgotten. To me, this should be our definition of a hero. His book Exodus Moments is filled with both the scriptural and the practical. I hope you enjoy it."

David L. Meyer, CEO, Hand of Hope,

Joyce Meyer Ministries World Missions

"Roy Lormis is a modern-day Moses. He has dedicated his life to helping others find their exit doors from pain. His book Exodus Moments is a key to unlocking that door. Each chapter points you to the path of freedom. This inspirational piece has a light bulb going off around every corner. It illuminates darkened lives with hope and the light of Jesus. This is a book about hope! But more than that, it is a flashlight for one looking for a lighted pathway.

It’s a rare moment to witness freedom. Usually we hear about it from the eyes of remembrance when the details are somewhat tainted from the years gone by. Roy takes you to the moment of transformation and shows you the power of God to bring light into darkness. You will see God’s light so vividly in his writing that you will have to squint. This book is powerful, insightful and needs to be on the bookshelf of every person who needs to find an exit door. Exodus Moments can be yours!

Pastor Brian Cutshall,

Twin Rivers Worship Center

Over the past 34 years of ministry across North America, I have had the occasion to meet and travel with men and women of varied and special anointings from God to do the work of an evangelist. Roy Lormis is one of those individuals who goes beyond what is expected of him for the glory of God. I first met Roy at an International Coalition of Prison Evangelists Conference that Bridges of Canada hosted in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Later I was given the opportunity to book Roy across the nation of Canada in prisons, first nation reserves, as well as churches and other outreach ministries. I personally travelled throughout Atlantic Canada with Roy, ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ as far north as Labrador and to many of the Inuit people in those institutions. Roy Lormis is a powerful man of God committed to his family and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am convinced this recent manuscript that he is releasing will be a great source of encouragement to the body of Christ. As the apostle Paul said of Timothy in Philippians 2:22, Roy has proven his character as a faithful man of GOD.

Monty Lewis, Bridges of Canada, Inc.

Acknowledgements

First of all, I would like to thank Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, for giving me the best life I could ever imagine. He has carried me so far from where I began, as a young man with an inferiority complex and a root of rejection that was crippling, to having an unquenchable desire to speak to people about the life they can have in Christ. Today it is my joy to speak in churches, prisons and conferences around the world, sharing my testimony and what God has taught me.

I want to thank my wife, Kathy, for all the support and encouragement she has given me over the past twenty-four years. We have been through a lot together and have learned so much. Thank you for the sacrifices you make that allow us to fulfill the call of God on our lives. I know your rewards will be great in heaven. For each life that is touched and each soul that finds Christ, you are a huge part.

I would like to also thank Joyce and Dave Meyer for giving us the awesome privilege of traveling to all the conferences and helping with the altar calls and resource tables. I could never have dreamed this guy from No-where-ville would be considered for such an honor.

Also, I would like to thank David and Shelly Meyer for believing in me enough to represent Hand of Hope, the Joyce Meyer Ministries world outreach department, by supervising the Prison Outreach Department. For the last fourteen years, we have had the privilege of taking the Gospel into the darkest holes of the prisons across the U.S. and around the world. I have learned so much and have been stretched farther than I thought possible.

A million thanks goes to Jim Strobel. I cannot begin to say what a great and awesome privilege it is to know you and your precious wife, Lou. The countless hours you have put into reviewing this material only heaven knows. May our heavenly Father reward you both here and on the other side.

Last, but definitely not least, Susan Hutchinson has been a God sent angel for such a time as this. Thanks for every moment you gave to make this book the best it could possibly be. Your desire for excellence and integrity is proven throughout this project. May you be rewarded greatly for all your hours of sacrifice by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

All the glory goes to my heavenly Father. Without Him, I would have never made it. He is faithful even when I am faithless.

Introduction

Even Bible History Repeats Itself

On the following pages you’ll find a comparison of God’s people in early days (Old Testament Israel) with His people today (the Church). We will see the ups and downs of Israel and various individuals. Prayerfully, these examples will help us pursue our journey with great enthusiasm.

We all face similar challenges and turning points in our lives when decisions must be made that will affect the rest of our lives as well as those who come behind us. We shall call those momentous, destiny-changing times Exodus Moments, when only wise choices lead to success. Where does one find that wisdom? God’s Word.

James 1:5 (AMP) tells us, If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Psalm 111:10 (AMP) says, The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever.

Solomon spoke of Wisdom as the principal thing; get it (see Proverbs 4:7). Wisdom will promote you and bring you honor. Seek for Wisdom as you would search for silver, gold, diamonds or rubies. Wisdom is a hidden treasure.

First Corinthians 1:30 (KJV) says, But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

Chapter One

Exodus Moments

Iremember as a young man, at the ripe old age of thirteen, the announcement my father made one evening. He came in brimming with excitement, which was enough to create anticipation in me and my siblings. He announced that we would soon leave Missouri and move to the state of Washington.

My mind immediately began to race at the prospect. The thought of going across the flatlands of Kansas and into Colorado, of seeing the majestic Rocky Mountains with all the tall evergreen forests filled with all kinds of wild game, and of crystal clear streams teeming with trout was exhilarating to my adventurous soul. The whole idea seemed like such a great adventure. I was swept up for the moment. But in a little while, the cost would have to be counted.

My first thought was that everything was great, awesome, cool; but when reality set in, there were second thoughts. I would have to leave my dog behind. I would have to say good-bye to my best friend from school. My grandparents, who were within walking distance, would now be 2,000 miles away. All my aunts, uncles and cousins who we were now nearby would be left behind.

I can only imagine what other people are feeling as they set off on an Exodus Moment of their own. Many have done it in the past, and for each and every one, the cost had to be counted before the journey began. Someone once said, The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Before the first step is ever taken on a journey that is worthwhile, there is a plan of action that becomes established in the heart. This in turn results in an Exodus Moment. This is probably what happened before the Mayflower set sail for the New World: Life-changing decisions were made that would determine the destinies of the Pilgrims.

Similarly, in the Bible’s account of the life of Moses, he experienced the results of his decisions in both a negative and a positive way, first fleeing quickly after killing an Egyptian, and then later in leading the children of Israel out from under the brutal slavery of Egypt.

Likewise in our own lives, with each Exodus Moment we face, we must answer the question: Is the journey worth the cost? If we remain where we are, will it ultimately cost us more than the things and people we leave behind? I pray that as we look at the lives of those who have given us such great examples, we will evaluate where we are, and then make the right decision at the right moment—a wise decision that will propel us into our God-given destiny.

Exodus Moments for the Israelites

It was just a normal day for the Israelites. The Egyptians were doing their usual yelling, whipping, and beatings, a routine the Israelite slaves had to endure. And they were weary at the thought of being slaves the rest of their lives. Many of the Israelites had been praying for deliverance from their everyday slavery and bondage, and during the past few months, something was different. Some of the elders had rekindled a story once told to them by their grandfathers, something about a word of prophecy given to the Israelites’ patriarch, Abraham. It was said that Jehovah had spoken to him and told him that the children of

Israel would be slaves for 430 years, but God would send a deliverer to take them out of their bondage. The timeline of this historical story had been traced and it was discovered that the day of the foretold fulfillment was approaching.

These kinds of stories were being told from house to house, creating an atmosphere of expectancy. Everyone was sensing that change was on its way. Whispers of hope were emerging in hearts full of turmoil and despair. Could it be true? Would Jehovah keep

His promise to His people? (Let me say here, we can be assured what God has spoken, He will bring to pass. Whenever we receive a word from God, we can take it to the bank!)

Now let’s go back about 80 years from this time, when a young man in Egypt learned his true identity. Around the year 1525 B.C., the king of Egypt, Pharaoh, decreed that all newborn Hebrew males be killed because he feared the Israelites were multiplying too rapidly and would become a military threat. One Hebrew mother devised a way to save her baby son. She placed him in a basket and floated it on the Nile river, sending the baby’s sister downriver to see what would happen to the boy.

Under God’s guidance, the basket was spotted by Pharaoh’s daughter, who rescued the baby from the river, adopted him, named him Moses, which means He who draws out. She raised him in the court of Pharaoh and he survived the plight against all the male Hebrew babies who were being slaughtered by the Egyptians.

Moses lived in the house of Pharaoh until age forty, when he made a life-changing decision. Faced with the fact that he was really an Israelite, he could no longer ignore the horrible conditions his fellowmen were made to endure in their slavery. Prematurely, he tried to be a Deliverer and killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. The next day, as he saw two Israelites fighting each other, he tried to break up the fight. They posed a pointed question to him: Will you kill us like you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Upon hearing their question and knowing he would be punished by Pharaoh, he ran for his life to the backside of a desert. His first Exodus Moment as a man had begun.

Moses spent his first forty years learning the ways of the Egyptians, but now here he was in a wilderness, a shepherd who was alone most of the time, leading a bunch of sheep. In this new place, God could teach him what he needed to learn to become the deliverer he was destined to be. It was in the desert that God was able to work right things into his character and take wrong things out.

When Moses was nearing the completion of another forty years, this time in the wilderness, he had an encounter