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Jan. 8, 2025
A Year in Review: The 2024 CityLight Highlights
Join us as Pastor Bo & Pastor Mohamed recap what we accomplished, and experienced together, as a congregation this past year. From the life-changing impact the church's missions trip to Guatemala had, to the growing partnership we have with Marcie Erickson and the Grace Center in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, you’ll be moved by the testimonies and video clips recapping the needs that were met through CityLights efforts outside of the US. We’ll also revisit the timely message that renowned author Eric Metaxas shared this summer. And finally, we celebrate what God did in our midst, how God showed up and transformed lives in our own congregation through Life Groups, baptisms, and serving within His church.
(00:00) Global Missions and Community Involvement
(08:57) Ethiopia Mission and Cultural Challenges
(21:07) Healing Rooms and Life Groups
(30:44) Life Groups and Baptism Celebration
(47:55) Connecting With City Light Church
www.citylightnyc.com
Chapters
00:00 - Global Missions and Community Involvement
08:57:00 - Ethiopia Mission and Cultural Challenges
21:07:00 - Healing Rooms and Life Groups
30:44:00 - Life Groups and Baptism Celebration
47:55:00 - Connecting With City Light Church
Transcript
00:00 - Speaker 1
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.
00:40 - Speaker 2
Our final Sunday of 2024 is a time where we recap some of the victories and wins that the Lord has granted us this year and where we show you what you've been a part of. You know you don't live Christianity out singularly alone. We're all interconnected. We're all body parts in the body of Christ and I'm grateful for a church that's alive. I really am that's a big thing Like as a pastor. I'm glad I get to look forward to going to church. I really like the people that I get to pastor. That's a big thing. Not every pastor in fact most, I dare say can say that they're like. I love them but I don't like them. But I'm so glad that I actually like you. I like your zeal, I like your commitment, I like your seriousness about the Lord and this is what we've done together to further the kingdom of God, to expand his kingdom. We're not just sitting idly by. You're moving together. We're moving together and we're doing something for the kingdom. So we're going to recap, pastor Mo and I, a few things. Number one this year we took a team of 24 fiery city lighters to Neba, guatemala, amen.
01:46
So this region of Guatemala is where the indigenous Yishio people live. They're the direct descendants of the Maya. There was zero Christianity in this region before the early 80s, and then, when the Macumbs came, they actually were the first ones to preach the gospel, the first ones to bring the written word of God and open it up and teach from it. This is hundreds of thousands of people that heard the gospel in this generation. Since the early 80s alone, we've been helping out. When I say we, I mean you Monthly supporting since 2009. So that's over 15 years, going on 16 years soon, and we have helped build over 40 churches in Guatemala, and again, when I say we, I mean you 40 churches. How about that? We talk about seed in the ground. We're believing God. For our own building in Queens, we've helped build 40 of them in Nabah and the surrounding areas. So let's take a look at this video of the trip that just happened last February.
03:05 - Speaker 3
I submit to any means towards the end of knowing Him. Oh the joy of my salvation. How beautiful it is. In wonder of it all, I sing he is Lord, he is Lord. The King is risen from the dead. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Oh the glory of eternity spent with our loving King. Every moment filled with the splendor of this child convinced, so awesome, we'll forever sing.
04:49 - Speaker 2
So awesome. Now, that's our homegrown song, right, homemade. Anyone from the worship team? Are they on a cigarette break? Where are they? You know how the worship team is. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.
05:09
Yeah, that's you right. I mean, I know, because I felt extra anointing on it. Just wanted to confirm. Just wanted to confirm. Put that out. You confessed your sin earlier. Stomp it out, wash your hands, because they'll tell by your finger. Smell. I think you can pop them in, but it's the fingers that give you away when you come and hug me and your hand lands on my shoulder. That's how a pastor knows. Praise God. See, if I can get you uncomfortable enough, then you'll expose that part of your heart to where the Lord can come and heal it. No, I'm just justifying why I'm cringe sometimes. Thank you, lord. Two we have also, since 2009, been ministering in Bahir Dar, ethiopia. We are the primary supporter of the Grace Center. We often call it an orphanage, although it's so much more than an orphanage it's also a medical center, slash hospital, really the only hospital in the area. It's an orphan prevention center and they feed I used to say 700 people daily, because the last time I saw it in person was in 2010. It's now grown to several thousand people every day that they feed.
06:22
Marcy Erickson was with us. She is a gem of a woman. She left from very comfortable Naples, florida, when she was 18 years old, to go to Ethiopia. You never know what God is going to do with your life, a heart that surrendered to the Lord. Nothing is impossible to them and you just go where God says go. You take risks of faith and you just go where God says go. You take risks of faith and you see how he comes through for you.
06:48
She she called up and asked and she only comes a few times like or once every few years. She said can I, can I stop? I'd love to give the people an update. She never, ever asks for money. She receives monthly support for us. She never even asked for a hotel. I mean, we pay her hotel and all this. She doesn't ask for anything. She's like I think your people may want to hear what's going on Never asks for anything.
07:09
So I said, hey, we'll cover your costs and what we can do is receive a special offering for you. And I received an offering and I just said hey, we're at Mission Sunday and whatever you give is going to go completely to the Grace Center. So nothing will go to Guatemala, nothing we have for that, but I'm saying everything will go to Ethiopia, and I just said it like that, right, if you were there, you remember. In other words, it's not like we had a rah-rah session and I tried to get as much as possible and $34,000 came in that Sunday for the Grace Center I thought $2,000 or $3,000, and we'll just continue with our monthly support. But I'm just blessed again to pastor a church where people hear from God and people give in faith, which enables us to do what we're doing. So let's hear this video message from Marcy Hi, pastor Boyan and everyone at City Light.
08:06 - Speaker 4
We are so very grateful for you and your amazing partnership with us at Grace Center. I want you to know we could not do this without you. Thank you so much. I want to share with you a bit about what has happened in Ethiopia over the last year. Grace Center is poised for significant growth within the next year, with two major expansion opportunities, provided the violence in the region dissipates. First, the Deputy Mayor announced on TV his commitment to allocate land in various city sections for Grace Center's new daycares. This expansion will dramatically increase our capacity to support women and children in need. We have also been asked many times to expand Grace Center by government officials. This confirms our belief that our mission extends beyond a single location.
08:57
A team, including my husband Sefiw, assistant Director Worku and new employee Mesfin, visited the city of deborah marcos. There they were immediately able to meet with city leaders, sharing what god has done in bahadur and exploring opportunities to serve deborah marcos, with a population of over 300 000 people. The city, lacking similar programs, welcomed our initiative. They said that in the entire history of the city, not once has any organization come to offer help to the people there. So we go on a journey to Ethiopia and then Bahadur. You can see Grace Center and then a four-hour drive south to Debra Marcos. Just like there weren't programs in Bahadur before 2006,. Now it's the same in Debra Marcos Until now and this is our land, where the trees are south of that dirt road.
09:59
Thanks to your support, we raised $1.1 million last year, assisting 20,000 people in Ethiopia. Because of God and because of you, we were able to say yes to everyone who came to us in need and even serve the masses through water distribution and an emergency phone line. This year, our goal is to raise 1.5 million dollars. This will finance more daycares in Bahajadar and initiate our expansion in Debra Marcos. Before COVID and the war, grace Center served 3,000 people annually. This year, because of you, we served over 50,000 people 50,000. From our humble beginnings in 2006, with just five foster children, we've grown beyond what we could have imagined. Thank you so much for your partnership with Grace Center. I want you to know that you are saving and transforming thousands of lives. God bless you.
10:59 - Speaker 2
And thank you, city Light Church. Thank you for making that happen Since 2009,. Every single month, without skipping a beat. You know what kind of a testimony that is without ever being late on our support that in 15 years, with any of the missionaries we support around the world, they never had to get a phone call, text or email from me saying we're going to be a little late this month. Just believe with us, help us, help us to pray it in. No, it just comes in every single month like clockwork, because God is faithful and you've been faithful. Three we've had Eric Metaxas with us here in August. We did a whole summer life group based around his book Letter to the American Church.
11:47
Years ago, a long time ago, when I was boy on now I'm beau when I was boy on, I also was very apolitical. In fact, in my ignorance, I once said a long, long time ago, like early 2020, before I was radicalized, I said I actually said it when we, I said I'm about as political as the Apostle Paul, which is to say, not at all, and I took great pride in that also. Until I saw my world change, until I saw ridiculous government overreach, until I saw that, hey, the preaching of the gospel is actually linked to the current political climate, because we got locked out of our building, we got put out. I mean, culture is shifting so rapidly and changing that it actually does matter how we vote and how we organize ourselves. Thank you for being a part of that. Let's take a look at this video clip.
12:35 - Speaker 5
Evil is deceiving right. So people can do evil things and they don't know. So Born Off or Sore by 1935, it's over. The church said we're not interested in this but we don't do politics. And he's like well, is that a biblical idea? A lot of people kind of assume it's a biblical idea.
12:55
I literally spoke to a pastor yesterday, a hugely important pastor. He's now retired, but I love this man, this is an amazing man. But he said to me on the phone I didn't want to argue with him, I didn't have the energy. But he said to me on the phone I would never endorse a political candidate and would never endorse a political party. And he sounded very pious when he said that. And I'm thinking like are you insane? But and he sounded very pious when he said that and I'm thinking like are you insane? But tons of pastors say that Good pastors, this guy's one of the best. But he said that and I thought here's the problem, that's not biblical. But where did you get that idea that that's biblical? Where did you get that idea?
13:33
Imagine it's 1850, okay, Slavery is on the ballot. And you say we don't get into that in our church, we don't take a stand on slavery. Now today we'd be like that's nuts. Many, many pastors at that time maybe because it didn't affect them, it was very convenient to say we don't get into that. Well, god gets into that. That's a moral issue. But they say we don't do politics, we just do church. That's the devil's kind of church folks that will not take a stand on slavery. But we're living through something now. It's the same thing. Evil comes up and he's oh, that's too political.
14:12
So this pastor yesterday says this to me and I was like I just didn't want to get into it with him because I know he thinks right on all the issues. But he actually said but I would never publicly endorse a candidate or I would never publicly endorse a party. I'm thinking nobody's telling you to worship a candidate and nobody's telling you to worship a political party. Nobody's telling you to make an idol of politics. Every idol is satanic. You don't make idol. But to say that you won't take a stand, that you won't want to, why? Because you're afraid you'll lose your 501c3 tax exempt. Is that why you make it sound biblical? But it's because you're afraid the government will come after you. Did it ever occur to you? The government is wrong.
14:52 - Speaker 2
It's occurred to me once or twice lately. Hallelujah, just thinking about Ethiopia. Last time I was there was 2010. If you ask why, I think I'm going to give you a very Christian-y answer and just say I wasn't led back. But if I analyze why I wasn't led back, I mean I'm willing to do and go wherever the Lord says. In fact, the weirder the better, but it's got to be the Lord and he's told me once, back in 2010. He hasn't phoned about that since. I haven't answered.
15:28
But I have some distinct memories of when I was there. One was taking 45 minutes to shower because this itty-bitty stream of water would come. Looked like an American shower head, look like a normal shower, but full blast, hardly any. What it would look like it like a squirt gun just slowly coming down and then it would stop and you know. And then we start again, but it was always just a little bit. And then the food. Now I've been to over 50 countries. I've eaten different kinds of food, but this was different on a whole other level. So it was a real challenge. But I could get past all that.
16:04
But what was really hard for me was preaching for several days with my whole heart, with zero effect on people. And I thought what is happening here? I mean, I preached in one of the largest Pentecostal churches in the country. That's right there in that town and I'm going all out and you can't hear anything but crickets. And it wasn't until days later where I found out that their language structure is completely different than ours. Like in America, I would say the boy ran across the street with the ball, but over there you put all the nouns first and then you add the verb, so it would be boy ball street ran across. Now that makes all the difference when you have a translator Because I'm trying to preach in English and I'm wondering what's taking him so long to translate. He's like re-preaching my whole. So it wasn't my fault, it was to translate. He's like re-preaching my whole, so it wasn't my fault, it was the translator. He's having to reconstruct the whole sentence and he's re-preaching my whole message. And I felt very, very ineffectual, ineffective.
17:08
And then once they drove us out into the bush, far away from the town of Bar-Hir-Dar, where there's been minimal contact with the people. So these are people that are literally living in the bush in mud huts and have not gone to school a day in their lives and I give an altar call. After an impassioned gospel message, I give an altar call and right at the altar call, the whole group of them, over 100 people, stand up and go ah, turn around, I'm not kidding, not exaggerating turn around and run away from me. I had an altar call in reverse. That's not what an evangelist wants to see. And then I said what was it me? Was it my shirt? What was it? Was it my off-brand comedic styling? What drove them away? And they said, right, when you were giving the altar call, a message came that the opposing tribe was plotting against them. So, right, as I finished the altar call, and none of them closed their eyes when I said you know, I'm doing an American-style altar. I learned a lot on that trip. Just because people are comfortable to close their eyes where you're from doesn't mean they're going to be comfortable out in the middle of the bush. So they ran away from me. Lesson learned, and maybe one day the Lord will call me back and I can remedy those early mistakes of a young Pastor Boyan, before he became Pastor Bowen, became a lot more mature.
18:30
But we have, we have these books from Eric Metaxas, we have all these books and Pastor Mo, because I clocked a few people in the head. In the first service, pastor Mo took out insurance in between services, extra insurance. So who would like some of Eric Metaxas' book? I'm going to throw it at you as hard as I can Religionless Christianity, god's Answer to Evil All right, I can't do that to you. Can you help them out? Evil Alright, I can't do that to you.
18:57
Can you help them out? We're going to need a little right over there. Alright, you know what? There's a Marisa. Why don't you have some fun with these? You wave your hand and then fish out of water. This one is three times as heavy as the previous book. And that was nice of him, wasn't it, to donate the remainder of his books to our church. Yeah, you'd like fish out of water. Fish out of water. I'm sorry the ones in the second row are getting first dibs because the liability is less. Thank you, michelle, thank you and thank you, lord, for what you've been doing in 2024. And we trust that we'll be even more effective in 2025. We'll see more people come to you, more people experience your transformative touch. Pastor Mo, will you come on up and share what else the Lord has been doing. Oh, we have more books. All right, as you do that, michelle, I'm just going to leave these couple of books here for you.
20:09 - Speaker 6
Well, good afternoon church, all right, all right. Oh, we got one clap for Pastor Mo, that's all One. What did Denzel say? I got eyes on all of you, amen.
20:28
But one of the things that I wanted to highlight that the Lord did in our church, we partnered with an organization called Love Life this year for the first time and it was an amazing thing, because they have a very radical ministry and very old school. They actually camp outside of Planned Parenthood and they minister evangelistically to everyone that is coming in and out of the building. Now, if you don't know, planned Parenthood was started by a woman by the name of Margaret Sanger, and her whole idea and thought was eugenics. She wanted to eliminate certain races because she was a racist. Let's call it what it is Now. Today, planned Parenthood not only does abortion, but they do some medical practices. So you would think that if you see one of these things, it's like, oh, that's just a medical facility, but really the origins are very ugly and evil and to this day, murder is still taking place in those buildings. We actually have a couple of photos that you can play in the background as I'm sharing. So basically, what they do is they stand outside old school, trying to reach people and reason with them and let them know you do not have to kill your unborn child. There are options, there are alternatives, so just pointing people in the right direction.
21:44
Now can I say a ministry like that doesn't yield thousands of results, but I don't think that it needs to. So in our time partnering with them, we only go out one Saturday a month. On the fourth Saturday we saw I believe it was three people total completely stop and say I'm not going to engage in this, I'm not going to murder my unborn child. Now the reason that we clap and we celebrate that is think about this. What if somebody said that about you before you were born? No, their life doesn't matter, no, their life can't continue, but by God's grace, you were able to have that chance at life. So really, we want you to engage with us If you're ever able. Come out on one of the Saturdays. And again, it's literally just as simple as stopping people, speaking with them, offering to pray, because although we only stopped three people and we saved those three lives, the amount of people that received prayer, that received counsel in the hundreds, like God is doing his thing everywhere. But especially stopping murder. That's something I want to be a part of, so I'm very grateful that City Light has partnered with Love Life.
23:01
The second thing I want to highlight this year that has been amazing is our healing rooms. Raise your hand if you've ever been to the City Light healing rooms. All right, look at the hands. Look at the hands, praise God. So if you don't know what healing rooms are, on the second Saturday of every month, city Light Church opens up the same facility where we're going to be meeting next Sunday, because we're not meeting here, correct? All right, 4619 31st Avenue, that's St Andrew's Church. On the second Saturday of the month, we meet there every month and we do according to the scriptures. We lay our hands upon the sick and we watch them recover. And when I say we, I'm not talking about the leadership team. I'm talking about a group of volunteers that has been trained, because one of the misnomers that people don't really understand is healing belongs to Christians and not leadership.
23:52
Healing. If you call yourself a Christian, the Bible is very clear that you have the ability to heal people. That supernatural power of God will flow through you. Come upon a sick person and watch them get well. I want to read you a scripture Mark 16, verse 16, says this he who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned, and these signs will follow those who believe. Do we have any believers in the building? Okay, just checking. Just checking In my name. They will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will what Lay hands on the sick and the sick will what. They will recover. This is so powerful because I believe we prayed for 96 people this year. Now you can slow clap on that if you want, but understand this 96 people walking in and having the power of God fall over them so that they walk in one way and leave one way different, without pain. Can we give God glory? So I'm actually going to read you two testimonies of people that recently reached out to me about their experience at the healing rooms and know this when it comes to the healing rooms, everything is anonymous. So you might say to yourself well, man, that sounds great, but I don't want people all in my business, don't worry, they won't be. So you can come and receive prayer. You can even come and participate as one of the volunteers. Everything is kept confidential, so this is why I'm not telling you their name.
25:37
Praise God, my healing rooms experience was absolutely incredible. I went in feeling stressed, anxious and nervous about a thyroid nodule that had suddenly appeared and could have been malignant and cancerous. During my healing rooms experience, I felt God speak to me and let me know that I was healed. I left knowing and trusting that God would either make the nodule supernaturally disappear or that it would be benign. After the healing room I felt like I was walking on clouds. I felt incredibly peaceful and remained that way for the next three weeks leading up to my biopsy and until I got my results. I knew that God had performed a miracle and that I was okay. I was healed. I cried when I finally got the biopsy results because they confirmed what I knew God had already done the thyroid nodule is benign. Glory be to God.
26:30
So she continues. She says God heals through these healing rooms. The healing rooms are filled with true people of God who are connected to the Lord and overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Y'all were spiritually ready and willing to intercede on my behalf. I was so incredibly blessed by the prayers for me on that Saturday and will forever be grateful for prayer warriors that allow the Lord to lead and use them for his glory and honor. Can we praise God? I got one more for you, so I'm going to read you.
27:02
This was the person's prayer request that they wrote down on the form, cause it's like a doctor's office you come in, you fill out a form, you sit down in the waiting room, then you go inside the power God whacks you up and then you leave healed. Yeah, so this was the prayer requests that they would no longer receive nerve blocking injections in their head to prevent migraines. It was a result of a brain aneurysm that they had, that they had to get the shots and also there was a paralyzing nerve that was on a bump on their head left from the brain surgery. It said if the pain persisted, the next step would have been to get surgery to file down the bone. This is all in the head area. Yeah, you could. We're the nervous Also.
27:46
The last part of her prayer request said my father relapsed on Tuesday. He's an alcoholic. He was sober for two months but he fell off the horse again. His verbal abuse has been affecting me all my life and recently has me even questioning whether I should have survived my brain aneurysm. This is a text message I received yesterday. Hi, pastor Mo. Well, I no longer receive injections to my head. That's how you start a testimony. I do get an occasional headache, but a manageable one that I can use aspirin for. But, hallelujah, I'm no longer getting nerve-blocking injections. My father is no longer an alcoholic. He has been sober and for over a year now, god gave me my dad.
28:36
Back. This past October I met with my neurosurgeon and my brain scans were completely clear. Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He healed back then, he healed in the healing rooms and he's willing to heal in 2025. So anybody who is willing to volunteer and join us, even if you just want to come and receive prayer, if you're sick in your body, you have the ability to receive healing and also to minister it to others. Praise God.
29:15
One last thing I want to share with you guys and Brandon, you can come on up I want to talk to you guys about life groups. Life groups are the lifeblood of our church, and why do I say that? Everything wonderful happens at life groups? We follow the model from the books of Acts where it says that they met in the temple, but then also they met from house to house, breaking bread, having fellowship. See what I'm talking about. Food is just part of it. We call it the three F's food, fun and fellowship.
29:44
But basically what happens in these life groups is you get an opportunity for fellowship, you get an opportunity for accountability, you get to know other Christians, christians get to know you. But here's a bigger part too you actually get to minister On a general Sunday. It's either I or Pastor Bo or maybe a guest speaker. But you don't really get to do much ministering. You receive, but in a life group we're asking that you would participate. You get to pray for people, you get to give a word of knowledge. You get to be a minister, because that's what you are. Amen, okay. So we're just inviting you to understand how amazing life groups are, and I figured Brandon could share with us about some of the amazing things that happened this year. This is a freshly minted and married Brian, by the way. Let's go, brandon.
30:33 - Speaker 7
God bless how you doing. My name is Brandon, not Brian. No, is Brandon Not Brian. No, not Brian.
30:41 - Speaker 6
Just checking.
30:44 - Speaker 7
So there was a time in my life where, you know, I was wild, I was lost, had a lot of anger, I was definitely rebellious, but then started watching City Light Online, attending churches on Sunday. But what really did it for me was life groups. So attending life groups, god was able to show me how he viewed me. He was able to show me like how he, how he, just, like he just covered me with his love to the point where I felt enough. You know everything I've been through. That was the past. He has plans for me, so that was a blessing. I'm just so thankful for that.
31:22
Through Life Groups, god was able to bless me and change my heart. He rearranged it. It has allowed me to see his people differently. I'm able to be more loving and interact with his children and even my friends and family. I didn't just restore my relationship with him, it restored relationships with others. So I do recommend joining a life group. I think it'll help you, whether you have a busy schedule or not. There's so many options. Get plugged in. Allow God to take the old things and get it passed away so that new things can be come to pass by his grace and mercy, and I'm thankful for him. Now I'm a man of purpose. I have this peace that goes beyond understanding, because of him and through him. So join the live group and I'll see y'all there my guy.
32:14 - Speaker 6
For some, the story is this alright, I'm gonna go to church. I'm making this decision I'm going to church, I'm gonna come late and I'm gonna leave early. I don't to go to church. I'm making the decision I'm going to church, I'm going to come late and I'm going to leave early. I don't need to talk to nobody, I'm just going to come in, I'm going to come out and lift my hands. I'm going to go. He made the decision that it wasn't just going to stop there. He made the decision to engage, and the challenge and the invite is I want you to engage. The next semester of Life Group starts in late February.
32:47 - Speaker 2
It's going to be a dramatic and powerful time of food, fun and fellowship. God bless, guys, amen. Thank God for Life Groups. I can't imagine what my early Christianity would have been like if it wasn't for spending time with just regular Christians. A lot of my the vast majority of my discipleship didn't take place on a Sunday. It took place Monday through Saturday, engaging with other believers.
33:17
I really appreciate that testimony, especially that a man gave it, because men seem to have a harder time going to a life group. In fact, pastor Mo mentioned that word accountability. Men usually just recoil physically when they hear that word. I want to be accountable to anyone. That's a normal feeling for a guy.
33:45
But the transformation happens with other people involved and God will use you to help transform someone's life. It's the way God built it his church, people ministering to people and it just can't happen when you're alone. There are no Lone Ranger. Christians Doesn't exist. In fact, think of the weirdest, strangest Christian you know yeah, you got that face in your head and you'll find that more than likely they're not attending a church and not plugged in Right, and they're just kind of. They'll say things like I just go where the fire is. I mean sounds spiritual, they're all burnt up. I go where the wind blows. That's why your hair looks like that. There's no discipleship and the boots have never grown roots Amen.
34:45
So another thing I want to celebrate as we wrap up 2024 is that for the last 15 plus years we have been having two baptismal services where, on average, we baptize over 30 people every time, sometimes up to 70, 80, 100 people. This is important. It's vital because when you look at the early church in the first century, in the book of Acts, baptism was a normal part of what they practiced and a normal part of the salvation package as it was presented. Something got distorted throughout the centuries where the message became just invite Jesus into your heart. By the way, that's unscriptural, it's unbiblical. There's nothing in the Bible that suggests you should just invite Jesus into your heart. The gospel message is give Jesus your life, surrender to him and trust in him for his righteousness, and now you have the same right standing with God as he has with God. That's the message. And then, if you really believe that, follow through with baptism. And there's a big problem in the American church that, on average, the average American church baptizes one person every three years. That's the average. That's not good. So a measure of health for a church is healthy, frequent baptisms, where people who actually make a decision for the Lord are following through on that decision by getting baptized.
36:08
And if, by the way, that's you and you're like, well, I've never been baptized, or I heard I was baptized as a baby, if you got wet when you were a baby, I want to just suggest this to you that you weren't baptized, you were christened. You got wet when you were a baby. I want to just suggest this to you that you weren't baptized, you were christened. You got wet. And if you want to argue with me, please come prepared with one, just one, scriptural example of a baby getting baptized. Find me one. I know some of you. You're hearing this for the first time. There's not one. A baby can't make a decision for the Lord. Your parents did that to you. They did that to you. They messed you up, made you think you were baptized. There's not one scriptural example of it.
36:52
You have to do two things before you're baptized. See, this is different than the first service, because I'm hunting for a couple of people. I can just I'm like a hound in the spirit. I can just tell somebody in this I didn't have to go like this in the first service, but several people need to hear this in the second service because you got you, you need to get baptized and you're wondering why it's just not connecting for you the Christianity and your relationship with the Lord. You're missing baptism and when you're baptized in water, then come and we're going to get you baptized in the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking and other tongues in the heavenly. No, it doesn't make you weird. It makes you more like Jesus, hallelujah. Makes you more like the Apostle Paul. Makes you more like the first century church.
38:28
Let's look at this video of our most recent baptism. So so, hallelujah, hallelujah. By the way, when City Light first started, we would baptize one or two people a year and I complained to the Lord about it and he said well, why don't you just have baptisms as part of the annual calendar? I said, well, there's no one to baptize? And he said that's because you don't have it on the calendar. So what I was doing was waiting for people to get saved and going. You know, you need to get baptized, and we were baptizing one or two and then we just said, all right, fine, every fall we're having baptisms, and every spring we're having baptisms. And that was like back in 05, 06. And since then I'm just giving you this so you know that the Lord responds to faith. So nobody's registering for baptisms, but by faith, we're putting it on the calendar and since then we've had baptisms galore. We've never had a bad baptism service, never. Where we go. Oh, wow, what happened this time? Where'd everybody go? God always brings people who need to get baptized and who've just recently gotten saved.
39:48
Before I go to my final point and celebrate what the Lord has done in 2024, let me just say this 21 days of prayer and fasting is starting January the 1st. Oh yeah, later, after we set this date, I found out that over 90% of the churches that do a 21 days of prayer and fasting are starting January 5th or 6th. You know why they do that Because people are too messed up to start January the 1st. No, really, it's too extreme of a shift. Well, how do you feel on January 1st? You've been eating really badly. Maybe not you because your skin is glowing, but typically right from Christmas to now, there's just too much happening. You're visiting family, you're eating 19 meals a day, and then the church is going to tell you on January 1st, cut it all off, so give you a week to acclimate a little bit, and then you start your fast. Well, we're starting January 1st. I want everyone to be a part of it.
40:56
Now, that does not mean you have to fast and not eat for 21 days. Some people, many people, will be doing that. I'm telling you right now I won't be doing that. We have. Well, first of all, you know how many birthdays I celebrated with just candles and no cake. My birthday falls on January 17th. So there have been years. My 40th birthday, I didn't eat, you know. So I'm eating. And also we have John and Carol are not coming January, so I have to take them out. I don't want to give them a bag full of air and go have what I'm having. I have to host them properly. So here's what you need to do Get a number from the Lord of how many days you're going to fast.
41:37
It could be just one day, it could be two days, it could be three days, it could be one day a week. You know, you can actually do business with God, you can actually reason with him and I found he's very reasonable, more reasonable than people. That's why in Isaiah Isaiah the prophet says come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as wool. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as snow. God is reasonable. So, for example, if you work construction and someone in your life group says I'm fasting for 21 days and you know that that is physically impossible for you, reason with the Lord. He'll say okay, just do two days for the whole 21.
42:21
But what everyone can do is join us for prayer every night at 7 pm via Zoom. So you've all received the links, unless you ignored me when I talked about the connection cards, but it's in our weekly email, it's on our website, so that's happening in just a few days. Join us, and this is important because we want to lay the foundation for 2025. And I've noticed a difference in my life since years ago, we began opening up the year with 21 days of prayer and fasting. It just changes things. You center on the Lord, you come and pray, you add some fasting to it and watch what the Lord does Amen, hallelujah, and finally, to just celebrate what the Lord has done in 2024, I thank God for our volunteers.
43:07
When I reminisce yes, when I reminisce the first years of City Light, it was like one giant pull to get volunteers. It was like pray, preach the word and get volunteers, and I haven't thought about volunteers that we need them in years. You guys are the first ones that I see. You're the ones who show up early and leave late. The first impressions the ushers, the worship team, the media team, the city kids downstairs. Thank you, thank you for serving, thank you for making City Light run, thank you for keeping the lights functioning at City Lights. And let's just watch this video. This is one of the ways we say thank you Not just a sweatshirt for Christmas, but we rented a boat to tour New York Harbor of our. This is how, one of the ways we say thank you, not just a sweatshirt for Christmas, but we rented a boat to tour New York Harbor to say thank you and to celebrate you.
44:10 - Speaker 3
Come on, you make it happen. The 2024 NOVA Award goes to Kate Child.
44:58 - Speaker 2
Put your hands together. Worship team, come on up. Thank you, lord. If you want prayer for anything, maybe you just want somebody to pray with you and release their faith with you and believe God for the best year you're ever going to have. We welcome you To come to my left, your right, that whole area over there lit up in the green and red. That's your ministry area. People from the ministry team will meet you there.
45:35
I'm believing for big things for you. There's no other way to say it. I just feel it in my bones, I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. There are seasons there are just seasons where life is life. There are seasons where it's more difficult than normal, and then there are seasons where years happen in weeks. It seems like God just puts you on the accelerator. You're in the Hove lane, you're in the Jehovah lane, you're riding extra fast, and that's the season I feel that we, as the body of Christ, are entering into. Now. A lot of the body of Christ has been beat up since 2020. But it's like a new day, and my faith is that you're going to have a year where you'll have to pinch yourself because you think you're dreaming. Release your faith, for that can you. Let's all stand to our feet and I want to lead you in. You're dreaming. Release your faith, for that can you. Let's all stand to our feet and I want to lead you in a proclamation.
46:43
The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. So mix faith as you say this. Say this in the name of Jesus. The plans of the devil are canceled over my life. I am victorious. The plans of the devil are canceled over my life. I am victorious and Jesus is my Lord. This year, 2025, I'm going higher From glory to glory. The abundance of God, the goodness of God, the prosperity of God, the love of God will increase in my life. Victory is mine in 2025. In Jesus' name, shout a big amen, hallelujah. If you want prayer, go to the ministry area, but regardless, lift your hands and sing this with all of your heart.
47:55 - Speaker 1
This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message, or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church podcast, if you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.
00:40 - Speaker 2
Our final Sunday of 2024 is a time where we recap some of the victories and wins that the Lord has granted us this year and where we show you what you've been a part of. You know you don't live Christianity out singularly alone. We're all interconnected. We're all body parts in the body of Christ and I'm grateful for a church that's alive. I really am that's a big thing Like as a pastor. I'm glad I get to look forward to going to church. I really like the people that I get to pastor. That's a big thing. Not every pastor in fact most, I dare say can say that they're like. I love them but I don't like them. But I'm so glad that I actually like you. I like your zeal, I like your commitment, I like your seriousness about the Lord and this is what we've done together to further the kingdom of God, to expand his kingdom. We're not just sitting idly by. You're moving together. We're moving together and we're doing something for the kingdom. So we're going to recap, pastor Mo and I, a few things. Number one this year we took a team of 24 fiery city lighters to Neba, guatemala, amen.
01:46
So this region of Guatemala is where the indigenous Yishio people live. They're the direct descendants of the Maya. There was zero Christianity in this region before the early 80s, and then, when the Macumbs came, they actually were the first ones to preach the gospel, the first ones to bring the written word of God and open it up and teach from it. This is hundreds of thousands of people that heard the gospel in this generation. Since the early 80s alone, we've been helping out. When I say we, I mean you Monthly supporting since 2009. So that's over 15 years, going on 16 years soon, and we have helped build over 40 churches in Guatemala, and again, when I say we, I mean you 40 churches. How about that? We talk about seed in the ground. We're believing God. For our own building in Queens, we've helped build 40 of them in Nabah and the surrounding areas. So let's take a look at this video of the trip that just happened last February.
03:05 - Speaker 3
I submit to any means towards the end of knowing Him. Oh the joy of my salvation. How beautiful it is. In wonder of it all, I sing he is Lord, he is Lord. The King is risen from the dead. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Oh the glory of eternity spent with our loving King. Every moment filled with the splendor of this child convinced, so awesome, we'll forever sing.
04:49 - Speaker 2
So awesome. Now, that's our homegrown song, right, homemade. Anyone from the worship team? Are they on a cigarette break? Where are they? You know how the worship team is. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.
05:09
Yeah, that's you right. I mean, I know, because I felt extra anointing on it. Just wanted to confirm. Just wanted to confirm. Put that out. You confessed your sin earlier. Stomp it out, wash your hands, because they'll tell by your finger. Smell. I think you can pop them in, but it's the fingers that give you away when you come and hug me and your hand lands on my shoulder. That's how a pastor knows. Praise God. See, if I can get you uncomfortable enough, then you'll expose that part of your heart to where the Lord can come and heal it. No, I'm just justifying why I'm cringe sometimes. Thank you, lord. Two we have also, since 2009, been ministering in Bahir Dar, ethiopia. We are the primary supporter of the Grace Center. We often call it an orphanage, although it's so much more than an orphanage it's also a medical center, slash hospital, really the only hospital in the area. It's an orphan prevention center and they feed I used to say 700 people daily, because the last time I saw it in person was in 2010. It's now grown to several thousand people every day that they feed.
06:22
Marcy Erickson was with us. She is a gem of a woman. She left from very comfortable Naples, florida, when she was 18 years old, to go to Ethiopia. You never know what God is going to do with your life, a heart that surrendered to the Lord. Nothing is impossible to them and you just go where God says go. You take risks of faith and you just go where God says go. You take risks of faith and you see how he comes through for you.
06:48
She she called up and asked and she only comes a few times like or once every few years. She said can I, can I stop? I'd love to give the people an update. She never, ever asks for money. She receives monthly support for us. She never even asked for a hotel. I mean, we pay her hotel and all this. She doesn't ask for anything. She's like I think your people may want to hear what's going on Never asks for anything.
07:09
So I said, hey, we'll cover your costs and what we can do is receive a special offering for you. And I received an offering and I just said hey, we're at Mission Sunday and whatever you give is going to go completely to the Grace Center. So nothing will go to Guatemala, nothing we have for that, but I'm saying everything will go to Ethiopia, and I just said it like that, right, if you were there, you remember. In other words, it's not like we had a rah-rah session and I tried to get as much as possible and $34,000 came in that Sunday for the Grace Center I thought $2,000 or $3,000, and we'll just continue with our monthly support. But I'm just blessed again to pastor a church where people hear from God and people give in faith, which enables us to do what we're doing. So let's hear this video message from Marcy Hi, pastor Boyan and everyone at City Light.
08:06 - Speaker 4
We are so very grateful for you and your amazing partnership with us at Grace Center. I want you to know we could not do this without you. Thank you so much. I want to share with you a bit about what has happened in Ethiopia over the last year. Grace Center is poised for significant growth within the next year, with two major expansion opportunities, provided the violence in the region dissipates. First, the Deputy Mayor announced on TV his commitment to allocate land in various city sections for Grace Center's new daycares. This expansion will dramatically increase our capacity to support women and children in need. We have also been asked many times to expand Grace Center by government officials. This confirms our belief that our mission extends beyond a single location.
08:57
A team, including my husband Sefiw, assistant Director Worku and new employee Mesfin, visited the city of deborah marcos. There they were immediately able to meet with city leaders, sharing what god has done in bahadur and exploring opportunities to serve deborah marcos, with a population of over 300 000 people. The city, lacking similar programs, welcomed our initiative. They said that in the entire history of the city, not once has any organization come to offer help to the people there. So we go on a journey to Ethiopia and then Bahadur. You can see Grace Center and then a four-hour drive south to Debra Marcos. Just like there weren't programs in Bahadur before 2006,. Now it's the same in Debra Marcos Until now and this is our land, where the trees are south of that dirt road.
09:59
Thanks to your support, we raised $1.1 million last year, assisting 20,000 people in Ethiopia. Because of God and because of you, we were able to say yes to everyone who came to us in need and even serve the masses through water distribution and an emergency phone line. This year, our goal is to raise 1.5 million dollars. This will finance more daycares in Bahajadar and initiate our expansion in Debra Marcos. Before COVID and the war, grace Center served 3,000 people annually. This year, because of you, we served over 50,000 people 50,000. From our humble beginnings in 2006, with just five foster children, we've grown beyond what we could have imagined. Thank you so much for your partnership with Grace Center. I want you to know that you are saving and transforming thousands of lives. God bless you.
10:59 - Speaker 2
And thank you, city Light Church. Thank you for making that happen Since 2009,. Every single month, without skipping a beat. You know what kind of a testimony that is without ever being late on our support that in 15 years, with any of the missionaries we support around the world, they never had to get a phone call, text or email from me saying we're going to be a little late this month. Just believe with us, help us, help us to pray it in. No, it just comes in every single month like clockwork, because God is faithful and you've been faithful. Three we've had Eric Metaxas with us here in August. We did a whole summer life group based around his book Letter to the American Church.
11:47
Years ago, a long time ago, when I was boy on now I'm beau when I was boy on, I also was very apolitical. In fact, in my ignorance, I once said a long, long time ago, like early 2020, before I was radicalized, I said I actually said it when we, I said I'm about as political as the Apostle Paul, which is to say, not at all, and I took great pride in that also. Until I saw my world change, until I saw ridiculous government overreach, until I saw that, hey, the preaching of the gospel is actually linked to the current political climate, because we got locked out of our building, we got put out. I mean, culture is shifting so rapidly and changing that it actually does matter how we vote and how we organize ourselves. Thank you for being a part of that. Let's take a look at this video clip.
12:35 - Speaker 5
Evil is deceiving right. So people can do evil things and they don't know. So Born Off or Sore by 1935, it's over. The church said we're not interested in this but we don't do politics. And he's like well, is that a biblical idea? A lot of people kind of assume it's a biblical idea.
12:55
I literally spoke to a pastor yesterday, a hugely important pastor. He's now retired, but I love this man, this is an amazing man. But he said to me on the phone I didn't want to argue with him, I didn't have the energy. But he said to me on the phone I would never endorse a political candidate and would never endorse a political party. And he sounded very pious when he said that. And I'm thinking like are you insane? But and he sounded very pious when he said that and I'm thinking like are you insane? But tons of pastors say that Good pastors, this guy's one of the best. But he said that and I thought here's the problem, that's not biblical. But where did you get that idea that that's biblical? Where did you get that idea?
13:33
Imagine it's 1850, okay, Slavery is on the ballot. And you say we don't get into that in our church, we don't take a stand on slavery. Now today we'd be like that's nuts. Many, many pastors at that time maybe because it didn't affect them, it was very convenient to say we don't get into that. Well, god gets into that. That's a moral issue. But they say we don't do politics, we just do church. That's the devil's kind of church folks that will not take a stand on slavery. But we're living through something now. It's the same thing. Evil comes up and he's oh, that's too political.
14:12
So this pastor yesterday says this to me and I was like I just didn't want to get into it with him because I know he thinks right on all the issues. But he actually said but I would never publicly endorse a candidate or I would never publicly endorse a party. I'm thinking nobody's telling you to worship a candidate and nobody's telling you to worship a political party. Nobody's telling you to make an idol of politics. Every idol is satanic. You don't make idol. But to say that you won't take a stand, that you won't want to, why? Because you're afraid you'll lose your 501c3 tax exempt. Is that why you make it sound biblical? But it's because you're afraid the government will come after you. Did it ever occur to you? The government is wrong.
14:52 - Speaker 2
It's occurred to me once or twice lately. Hallelujah, just thinking about Ethiopia. Last time I was there was 2010. If you ask why, I think I'm going to give you a very Christian-y answer and just say I wasn't led back. But if I analyze why I wasn't led back, I mean I'm willing to do and go wherever the Lord says. In fact, the weirder the better, but it's got to be the Lord and he's told me once, back in 2010. He hasn't phoned about that since. I haven't answered.
15:28
But I have some distinct memories of when I was there. One was taking 45 minutes to shower because this itty-bitty stream of water would come. Looked like an American shower head, look like a normal shower, but full blast, hardly any. What it would look like it like a squirt gun just slowly coming down and then it would stop and you know. And then we start again, but it was always just a little bit. And then the food. Now I've been to over 50 countries. I've eaten different kinds of food, but this was different on a whole other level. So it was a real challenge. But I could get past all that.
16:04
But what was really hard for me was preaching for several days with my whole heart, with zero effect on people. And I thought what is happening here? I mean, I preached in one of the largest Pentecostal churches in the country. That's right there in that town and I'm going all out and you can't hear anything but crickets. And it wasn't until days later where I found out that their language structure is completely different than ours. Like in America, I would say the boy ran across the street with the ball, but over there you put all the nouns first and then you add the verb, so it would be boy ball street ran across. Now that makes all the difference when you have a translator Because I'm trying to preach in English and I'm wondering what's taking him so long to translate. He's like re-preaching my whole. So it wasn't my fault, it was to translate. He's like re-preaching my whole, so it wasn't my fault, it was the translator. He's having to reconstruct the whole sentence and he's re-preaching my whole message. And I felt very, very ineffectual, ineffective.
17:08
And then once they drove us out into the bush, far away from the town of Bar-Hir-Dar, where there's been minimal contact with the people. So these are people that are literally living in the bush in mud huts and have not gone to school a day in their lives and I give an altar call. After an impassioned gospel message, I give an altar call and right at the altar call, the whole group of them, over 100 people, stand up and go ah, turn around, I'm not kidding, not exaggerating turn around and run away from me. I had an altar call in reverse. That's not what an evangelist wants to see. And then I said what was it me? Was it my shirt? What was it? Was it my off-brand comedic styling? What drove them away? And they said, right, when you were giving the altar call, a message came that the opposing tribe was plotting against them. So, right, as I finished the altar call, and none of them closed their eyes when I said you know, I'm doing an American-style altar. I learned a lot on that trip. Just because people are comfortable to close their eyes where you're from doesn't mean they're going to be comfortable out in the middle of the bush. So they ran away from me. Lesson learned, and maybe one day the Lord will call me back and I can remedy those early mistakes of a young Pastor Boyan, before he became Pastor Bowen, became a lot more mature.
18:30
But we have, we have these books from Eric Metaxas, we have all these books and Pastor Mo, because I clocked a few people in the head. In the first service, pastor Mo took out insurance in between services, extra insurance. So who would like some of Eric Metaxas' book? I'm going to throw it at you as hard as I can Religionless Christianity, god's Answer to Evil All right, I can't do that to you. Can you help them out? Evil Alright, I can't do that to you.
18:57
Can you help them out? We're going to need a little right over there. Alright, you know what? There's a Marisa. Why don't you have some fun with these? You wave your hand and then fish out of water. This one is three times as heavy as the previous book. And that was nice of him, wasn't it, to donate the remainder of his books to our church. Yeah, you'd like fish out of water. Fish out of water. I'm sorry the ones in the second row are getting first dibs because the liability is less. Thank you, michelle, thank you and thank you, lord, for what you've been doing in 2024. And we trust that we'll be even more effective in 2025. We'll see more people come to you, more people experience your transformative touch. Pastor Mo, will you come on up and share what else the Lord has been doing. Oh, we have more books. All right, as you do that, michelle, I'm just going to leave these couple of books here for you.
20:09 - Speaker 6
Well, good afternoon church, all right, all right. Oh, we got one clap for Pastor Mo, that's all One. What did Denzel say? I got eyes on all of you, amen.
20:28
But one of the things that I wanted to highlight that the Lord did in our church, we partnered with an organization called Love Life this year for the first time and it was an amazing thing, because they have a very radical ministry and very old school. They actually camp outside of Planned Parenthood and they minister evangelistically to everyone that is coming in and out of the building. Now, if you don't know, planned Parenthood was started by a woman by the name of Margaret Sanger, and her whole idea and thought was eugenics. She wanted to eliminate certain races because she was a racist. Let's call it what it is Now. Today, planned Parenthood not only does abortion, but they do some medical practices. So you would think that if you see one of these things, it's like, oh, that's just a medical facility, but really the origins are very ugly and evil and to this day, murder is still taking place in those buildings. We actually have a couple of photos that you can play in the background as I'm sharing. So basically, what they do is they stand outside old school, trying to reach people and reason with them and let them know you do not have to kill your unborn child. There are options, there are alternatives, so just pointing people in the right direction.
21:44
Now can I say a ministry like that doesn't yield thousands of results, but I don't think that it needs to. So in our time partnering with them, we only go out one Saturday a month. On the fourth Saturday we saw I believe it was three people total completely stop and say I'm not going to engage in this, I'm not going to murder my unborn child. Now the reason that we clap and we celebrate that is think about this. What if somebody said that about you before you were born? No, their life doesn't matter, no, their life can't continue, but by God's grace, you were able to have that chance at life. So really, we want you to engage with us If you're ever able. Come out on one of the Saturdays. And again, it's literally just as simple as stopping people, speaking with them, offering to pray, because although we only stopped three people and we saved those three lives, the amount of people that received prayer, that received counsel in the hundreds, like God is doing his thing everywhere. But especially stopping murder. That's something I want to be a part of, so I'm very grateful that City Light has partnered with Love Life.
23:01
The second thing I want to highlight this year that has been amazing is our healing rooms. Raise your hand if you've ever been to the City Light healing rooms. All right, look at the hands. Look at the hands, praise God. So if you don't know what healing rooms are, on the second Saturday of every month, city Light Church opens up the same facility where we're going to be meeting next Sunday, because we're not meeting here, correct? All right, 4619 31st Avenue, that's St Andrew's Church. On the second Saturday of the month, we meet there every month and we do according to the scriptures. We lay our hands upon the sick and we watch them recover. And when I say we, I'm not talking about the leadership team. I'm talking about a group of volunteers that has been trained, because one of the misnomers that people don't really understand is healing belongs to Christians and not leadership.
23:52
Healing. If you call yourself a Christian, the Bible is very clear that you have the ability to heal people. That supernatural power of God will flow through you. Come upon a sick person and watch them get well. I want to read you a scripture Mark 16, verse 16, says this he who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned, and these signs will follow those who believe. Do we have any believers in the building? Okay, just checking. Just checking In my name. They will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will what Lay hands on the sick and the sick will what. They will recover. This is so powerful because I believe we prayed for 96 people this year. Now you can slow clap on that if you want, but understand this 96 people walking in and having the power of God fall over them so that they walk in one way and leave one way different, without pain. Can we give God glory? So I'm actually going to read you two testimonies of people that recently reached out to me about their experience at the healing rooms and know this when it comes to the healing rooms, everything is anonymous. So you might say to yourself well, man, that sounds great, but I don't want people all in my business, don't worry, they won't be. So you can come and receive prayer. You can even come and participate as one of the volunteers. Everything is kept confidential, so this is why I'm not telling you their name.
25:37
Praise God, my healing rooms experience was absolutely incredible. I went in feeling stressed, anxious and nervous about a thyroid nodule that had suddenly appeared and could have been malignant and cancerous. During my healing rooms experience, I felt God speak to me and let me know that I was healed. I left knowing and trusting that God would either make the nodule supernaturally disappear or that it would be benign. After the healing room I felt like I was walking on clouds. I felt incredibly peaceful and remained that way for the next three weeks leading up to my biopsy and until I got my results. I knew that God had performed a miracle and that I was okay. I was healed. I cried when I finally got the biopsy results because they confirmed what I knew God had already done the thyroid nodule is benign. Glory be to God.
26:30
So she continues. She says God heals through these healing rooms. The healing rooms are filled with true people of God who are connected to the Lord and overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Y'all were spiritually ready and willing to intercede on my behalf. I was so incredibly blessed by the prayers for me on that Saturday and will forever be grateful for prayer warriors that allow the Lord to lead and use them for his glory and honor. Can we praise God? I got one more for you, so I'm going to read you.
27:02
This was the person's prayer request that they wrote down on the form, cause it's like a doctor's office you come in, you fill out a form, you sit down in the waiting room, then you go inside the power God whacks you up and then you leave healed. Yeah, so this was the prayer requests that they would no longer receive nerve blocking injections in their head to prevent migraines. It was a result of a brain aneurysm that they had, that they had to get the shots and also there was a paralyzing nerve that was on a bump on their head left from the brain surgery. It said if the pain persisted, the next step would have been to get surgery to file down the bone. This is all in the head area. Yeah, you could. We're the nervous Also.
27:46
The last part of her prayer request said my father relapsed on Tuesday. He's an alcoholic. He was sober for two months but he fell off the horse again. His verbal abuse has been affecting me all my life and recently has me even questioning whether I should have survived my brain aneurysm. This is a text message I received yesterday. Hi, pastor Mo. Well, I no longer receive injections to my head. That's how you start a testimony. I do get an occasional headache, but a manageable one that I can use aspirin for. But, hallelujah, I'm no longer getting nerve-blocking injections. My father is no longer an alcoholic. He has been sober and for over a year now, god gave me my dad.
28:36
Back. This past October I met with my neurosurgeon and my brain scans were completely clear. Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He healed back then, he healed in the healing rooms and he's willing to heal in 2025. So anybody who is willing to volunteer and join us, even if you just want to come and receive prayer, if you're sick in your body, you have the ability to receive healing and also to minister it to others. Praise God.
29:15
One last thing I want to share with you guys and Brandon, you can come on up I want to talk to you guys about life groups. Life groups are the lifeblood of our church, and why do I say that? Everything wonderful happens at life groups? We follow the model from the books of Acts where it says that they met in the temple, but then also they met from house to house, breaking bread, having fellowship. See what I'm talking about. Food is just part of it. We call it the three F's food, fun and fellowship.
29:44
But basically what happens in these life groups is you get an opportunity for fellowship, you get an opportunity for accountability, you get to know other Christians, christians get to know you. But here's a bigger part too you actually get to minister On a general Sunday. It's either I or Pastor Bo or maybe a guest speaker. But you don't really get to do much ministering. You receive, but in a life group we're asking that you would participate. You get to pray for people, you get to give a word of knowledge. You get to be a minister, because that's what you are. Amen, okay. So we're just inviting you to understand how amazing life groups are, and I figured Brandon could share with us about some of the amazing things that happened this year. This is a freshly minted and married Brian, by the way. Let's go, brandon.
30:33 - Speaker 7
God bless how you doing. My name is Brandon, not Brian. No, is Brandon Not Brian. No, not Brian.
30:41 - Speaker 6
Just checking.
30:44 - Speaker 7
So there was a time in my life where, you know, I was wild, I was lost, had a lot of anger, I was definitely rebellious, but then started watching City Light Online, attending churches on Sunday. But what really did it for me was life groups. So attending life groups, god was able to show me how he viewed me. He was able to show me like how he, how he, just, like he just covered me with his love to the point where I felt enough. You know everything I've been through. That was the past. He has plans for me, so that was a blessing. I'm just so thankful for that.
31:22
Through Life Groups, god was able to bless me and change my heart. He rearranged it. It has allowed me to see his people differently. I'm able to be more loving and interact with his children and even my friends and family. I didn't just restore my relationship with him, it restored relationships with others. So I do recommend joining a life group. I think it'll help you, whether you have a busy schedule or not. There's so many options. Get plugged in. Allow God to take the old things and get it passed away so that new things can be come to pass by his grace and mercy, and I'm thankful for him. Now I'm a man of purpose. I have this peace that goes beyond understanding, because of him and through him. So join the live group and I'll see y'all there my guy.
32:14 - Speaker 6
For some, the story is this alright, I'm gonna go to church. I'm making this decision I'm going to church, I'm gonna come late and I'm gonna leave early. I don't to go to church. I'm making the decision I'm going to church, I'm going to come late and I'm going to leave early. I don't need to talk to nobody, I'm just going to come in, I'm going to come out and lift my hands. I'm going to go. He made the decision that it wasn't just going to stop there. He made the decision to engage, and the challenge and the invite is I want you to engage. The next semester of Life Group starts in late February.
32:47 - Speaker 2
It's going to be a dramatic and powerful time of food, fun and fellowship. God bless, guys, amen. Thank God for Life Groups. I can't imagine what my early Christianity would have been like if it wasn't for spending time with just regular Christians. A lot of my the vast majority of my discipleship didn't take place on a Sunday. It took place Monday through Saturday, engaging with other believers.
33:17
I really appreciate that testimony, especially that a man gave it, because men seem to have a harder time going to a life group. In fact, pastor Mo mentioned that word accountability. Men usually just recoil physically when they hear that word. I want to be accountable to anyone. That's a normal feeling for a guy.
33:45
But the transformation happens with other people involved and God will use you to help transform someone's life. It's the way God built it his church, people ministering to people and it just can't happen when you're alone. There are no Lone Ranger. Christians Doesn't exist. In fact, think of the weirdest, strangest Christian you know yeah, you got that face in your head and you'll find that more than likely they're not attending a church and not plugged in Right, and they're just kind of. They'll say things like I just go where the fire is. I mean sounds spiritual, they're all burnt up. I go where the wind blows. That's why your hair looks like that. There's no discipleship and the boots have never grown roots Amen.
34:45
So another thing I want to celebrate as we wrap up 2024 is that for the last 15 plus years we have been having two baptismal services where, on average, we baptize over 30 people every time, sometimes up to 70, 80, 100 people. This is important. It's vital because when you look at the early church in the first century, in the book of Acts, baptism was a normal part of what they practiced and a normal part of the salvation package as it was presented. Something got distorted throughout the centuries where the message became just invite Jesus into your heart. By the way, that's unscriptural, it's unbiblical. There's nothing in the Bible that suggests you should just invite Jesus into your heart. The gospel message is give Jesus your life, surrender to him and trust in him for his righteousness, and now you have the same right standing with God as he has with God. That's the message. And then, if you really believe that, follow through with baptism. And there's a big problem in the American church that, on average, the average American church baptizes one person every three years. That's the average. That's not good. So a measure of health for a church is healthy, frequent baptisms, where people who actually make a decision for the Lord are following through on that decision by getting baptized.
36:08
And if, by the way, that's you and you're like, well, I've never been baptized, or I heard I was baptized as a baby, if you got wet when you were a baby, I want to just suggest this to you that you weren't baptized, you were christened. You got wet when you were a baby. I want to just suggest this to you that you weren't baptized, you were christened. You got wet. And if you want to argue with me, please come prepared with one, just one, scriptural example of a baby getting baptized. Find me one. I know some of you. You're hearing this for the first time. There's not one. A baby can't make a decision for the Lord. Your parents did that to you. They did that to you. They messed you up, made you think you were baptized. There's not one scriptural example of it.
36:52
You have to do two things before you're baptized. See, this is different than the first service, because I'm hunting for a couple of people. I can just I'm like a hound in the spirit. I can just tell somebody in this I didn't have to go like this in the first service, but several people need to hear this in the second service because you got you, you need to get baptized and you're wondering why it's just not connecting for you the Christianity and your relationship with the Lord. You're missing baptism and when you're baptized in water, then come and we're going to get you baptized in the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking and other tongues in the heavenly. No, it doesn't make you weird. It makes you more like Jesus, hallelujah. Makes you more like the Apostle Paul. Makes you more like the first century church.
38:28
Let's look at this video of our most recent baptism. So so, hallelujah, hallelujah. By the way, when City Light first started, we would baptize one or two people a year and I complained to the Lord about it and he said well, why don't you just have baptisms as part of the annual calendar? I said, well, there's no one to baptize? And he said that's because you don't have it on the calendar. So what I was doing was waiting for people to get saved and going. You know, you need to get baptized, and we were baptizing one or two and then we just said, all right, fine, every fall we're having baptisms, and every spring we're having baptisms. And that was like back in 05, 06. And since then I'm just giving you this so you know that the Lord responds to faith. So nobody's registering for baptisms, but by faith, we're putting it on the calendar and since then we've had baptisms galore. We've never had a bad baptism service, never. Where we go. Oh, wow, what happened this time? Where'd everybody go? God always brings people who need to get baptized and who've just recently gotten saved.
39:48
Before I go to my final point and celebrate what the Lord has done in 2024, let me just say this 21 days of prayer and fasting is starting January the 1st. Oh yeah, later, after we set this date, I found out that over 90% of the churches that do a 21 days of prayer and fasting are starting January 5th or 6th. You know why they do that Because people are too messed up to start January the 1st. No, really, it's too extreme of a shift. Well, how do you feel on January 1st? You've been eating really badly. Maybe not you because your skin is glowing, but typically right from Christmas to now, there's just too much happening. You're visiting family, you're eating 19 meals a day, and then the church is going to tell you on January 1st, cut it all off, so give you a week to acclimate a little bit, and then you start your fast. Well, we're starting January 1st. I want everyone to be a part of it.
40:56
Now, that does not mean you have to fast and not eat for 21 days. Some people, many people, will be doing that. I'm telling you right now I won't be doing that. We have. Well, first of all, you know how many birthdays I celebrated with just candles and no cake. My birthday falls on January 17th. So there have been years. My 40th birthday, I didn't eat, you know. So I'm eating. And also we have John and Carol are not coming January, so I have to take them out. I don't want to give them a bag full of air and go have what I'm having. I have to host them properly. So here's what you need to do Get a number from the Lord of how many days you're going to fast.
41:37
It could be just one day, it could be two days, it could be three days, it could be one day a week. You know, you can actually do business with God, you can actually reason with him and I found he's very reasonable, more reasonable than people. That's why in Isaiah Isaiah the prophet says come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as wool. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as snow. God is reasonable. So, for example, if you work construction and someone in your life group says I'm fasting for 21 days and you know that that is physically impossible for you, reason with the Lord. He'll say okay, just do two days for the whole 21.
42:21
But what everyone can do is join us for prayer every night at 7 pm via Zoom. So you've all received the links, unless you ignored me when I talked about the connection cards, but it's in our weekly email, it's on our website, so that's happening in just a few days. Join us, and this is important because we want to lay the foundation for 2025. And I've noticed a difference in my life since years ago, we began opening up the year with 21 days of prayer and fasting. It just changes things. You center on the Lord, you come and pray, you add some fasting to it and watch what the Lord does Amen, hallelujah, and finally, to just celebrate what the Lord has done in 2024, I thank God for our volunteers.
43:07
When I reminisce yes, when I reminisce the first years of City Light, it was like one giant pull to get volunteers. It was like pray, preach the word and get volunteers, and I haven't thought about volunteers that we need them in years. You guys are the first ones that I see. You're the ones who show up early and leave late. The first impressions the ushers, the worship team, the media team, the city kids downstairs. Thank you, thank you for serving, thank you for making City Light run, thank you for keeping the lights functioning at City Lights. And let's just watch this video. This is one of the ways we say thank you Not just a sweatshirt for Christmas, but we rented a boat to tour New York Harbor of our. This is how, one of the ways we say thank you, not just a sweatshirt for Christmas, but we rented a boat to tour New York Harbor to say thank you and to celebrate you.
44:10 - Speaker 3
Come on, you make it happen. The 2024 NOVA Award goes to Kate Child.
44:58 - Speaker 2
Put your hands together. Worship team, come on up. Thank you, lord. If you want prayer for anything, maybe you just want somebody to pray with you and release their faith with you and believe God for the best year you're ever going to have. We welcome you To come to my left, your right, that whole area over there lit up in the green and red. That's your ministry area. People from the ministry team will meet you there.
45:35
I'm believing for big things for you. There's no other way to say it. I just feel it in my bones, I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes. There are seasons there are just seasons where life is life. There are seasons where it's more difficult than normal, and then there are seasons where years happen in weeks. It seems like God just puts you on the accelerator. You're in the Hove lane, you're in the Jehovah lane, you're riding extra fast, and that's the season I feel that we, as the body of Christ, are entering into. Now. A lot of the body of Christ has been beat up since 2020. But it's like a new day, and my faith is that you're going to have a year where you'll have to pinch yourself because you think you're dreaming. Release your faith, for that can you. Let's all stand to our feet and I want to lead you in. You're dreaming. Release your faith, for that can you. Let's all stand to our feet and I want to lead you in a proclamation.
46:43
The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. So mix faith as you say this. Say this in the name of Jesus. The plans of the devil are canceled over my life. I am victorious. The plans of the devil are canceled over my life. I am victorious and Jesus is my Lord. This year, 2025, I'm going higher From glory to glory. The abundance of God, the goodness of God, the prosperity of God, the love of God will increase in my life. Victory is mine in 2025. In Jesus' name, shout a big amen, hallelujah. If you want prayer, go to the ministry area, but regardless, lift your hands and sing this with all of your heart.
47:55 - Speaker 1
This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message, or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church podcast, if you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
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