CCA Pastors’ & Leaders’ Conference 2021
Lloyd Pulley Teaches at CCA International Pastors' & Leaders' Conference 2021
Story by Kate Larsen
Photos by Tom Price and Josh Larson
Follow Calvary Chapel Magazine as we publish summaries of the teachings at the CCA 2021 Calvary Chapel International Pastors' & Leaders' Conference at CC Golden Springs, CA.
In this installment, Pastor Lloyd Pulley of Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, NJ, encourages us to trust God, commit to prayer, and walk by faith in the face of opposition, trials, and challenges.
Watch this teaching in its entirety at Day 2 / Lloyd Pulley
Pastor Lloyd brought a light-hearted approach to a very serious topic as he opened up Acts 12 for the Tuesday evening session. “The disciples have already experienced persecution from within at this point with the Jews, but Chapter 12 becomes a church-versus-state issue,” Lloyd stated.
Commenting on the difficulty some of the recent and “unprecedented” challenges have been for many to accept, he noted the fact that at the opening of the chapter, Herod stumbled onto a politician’s dream. Herod pleased the Jewish leadership, gaining support with a misused government sword. The apostle James was killed and now Peter was in prison.
“The power of the Roman sword had the power to intimidate, except when you come along someone like Peter,” Lloyd remarked. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church (Acts 12:5).
The word but in the above verse became an exhortation to those in attendance. “Why do we find it so hard to pray?” Lloyd asked. He pointed out that Satan knows where to strategically attack the believer; the Jerusalem church prayed all week, and nothing had happened. The Lord tested their resolve and, at the right moment, Peter was released—miraculously!
Lloyd shared personally how decades of prayer brought a prodigal home—his son Jeremy, who is now home with the Lord. “Prayer is like a storehouse in heaven. [We] keep offering them up and nothing is happening, until the floodgates are opened,” he observed.
Peter, with all of his weakness, knew he wasn’t going down because he had a promise from God. Pastor Lloyd reminded the body that we also have a promise. Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. He pointed out how much fear and worry happen needlessly because we know God is working out all things for good.
The intimidation of Herod would backfire on him by the end of Acts 12. Psalm 2:1 says, Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? Peter was asleep when the angel came to release him. “God knows what His plan is,” Pastor Lloyd assured. “Caught up in the presence of the Lord, we can sleep as Peter did.” It was an exhortation to trust God in the face of opposition, trials, and challenges. It was a call to commit to prayer and to walk by faith.
“The biggest danger is that we’re not walking [by faith], we’re not being our best,” Lloyd warned. He reminded them that second only to having one’s own name written in the Book of Life was that one’s life could be used to add others’ names to it.
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind … 1 Peter 4:1a
“Maybe the Lord will do something to change the course of this world, but we’ve got to arm ourselves [spiritually], ready to suffer and to prepare for the worst,” Lloyd urged the packed room. There will always be the Herod's, but there will also always be the Peter's. Peter could rest in God’s plan and found doing everything he could to continue.
Watch this teaching in its entirety at Day 2 / Lloyd Pulley
View CCA International Pastors' & Leaders' Conference Schedule
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Visit the website of Pastor Lloyd Pulley's church at: Calvary Chapel Old Bridge
All verses above are quoted from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
© 2021 Calvary Chapel Magazine (CCM). All rights reserved. Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.® Used by permission.