Full Gospel Lighthouse Church December 2009 Newsletter

Full Gospel Lighthouse Church, Inc. 624 Torringford West St., PO Box 1201, Torrington, CT 06790-1201 Phone: 1-(860)-489-4137 Pastor: Rev. Daniel Bossidy

December 2009 Dear Friend, Greetings once again from everyone at the Full Gospel Lighthouse Church in Torrington, CT. It’s such a wonderful time of year; a time to remember our Savior’s birth! He came to save His people from their sins, and that is exactly what He’s been doing here at church: saving those who call on His name! We recently had a water baptism and the couple that was baptized were extremely blessed and touched by the Spirit of God! They went down into the water carrying the burden and guilt of their sins but the Lord Jesus completely lifted that off their hearts and cleansed them, wiping their slate clean! They now have a new opportunity to live their lives free from their past and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Bible tells us in Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” This great promise was given to Joseph, who was espoused to Mary. Something changed in Mary that he didn’t understand. He was troubled by the events that took place and thought to distance himself from her. But the Lord sent an angel to him to assure his heart. He needed to know God’s will before he entered such a great commitment. If this marriage wasn’t God’s will, Joseph was wiling to walk away from it, as much as he loved Mary. But the angel came with blessed assurance from the Almighty to, “…fear not to take unto thee Mary…” The Lord came to reconcile the world to Himself, not destroy it. He is not willing that any should perish but that we all have eternal life. Little did Joseph know what would lie before them as they took their journey of faith. Soon after this, there came a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the entire world should be taxed. Joseph needed to go back to Bethlehem, where his family was from. He would go there and pay the tax, hoping to be home in time for the birth of Jesus. He intended to leave Mary there in Nazareth, but there was one thing about Mary: she knew the Scriptures. Her desire to do the will of God was greater than the comforts of home. She knew the Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem. Joseph could not convince her to stay home because she knew in her heart the Lord was to come from Bethlehem. It would not be easy, but it was the right decision to make. You may be in a place of decision that your mind tells you one thing but the will of God tells you something else. We are often tempted to take the easy way, the understandable way. She could have reasoned that the Lord would understand if she chose to stay in Nazareth, because it would be easier on her. After all, she was 9 months pregnant! This couple is an example of true heroes to me. If they had chosen to make other plans the outcome would have been disastrous for countless millions of people down through the ages. But they chose the will of God. We don’t have to understand everything when it comes to faith and what the Lord is requiring us to do. Sometimes the Lord does require things of His people that He doesn’t of others. But in obeying the Word of the Lord, there are

countless blessings and rewards from the Spirit of God! The angel had told Joseph that he would call the baby’s name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. He won’t save us in our sins, but He will save us from our sins. There’s a big difference. Are you willing to cast off your sins to be saved? By this one decision that Mary made: to travel to Bethlehem and give birth to the Messiah there, she made the Word of God possible to receive where it said, “…they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). When I’m discouraged and alone I know that God is with me because the Lord Jesus was born so many years ago to fulfill the Scriptures. When I feel like I haven’t attained all I hoped to in my life, I can take good courage knowing that my future is secure in God’s will, all because our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem in fulfillment of the Scriptures. When my trials are too hot to handle, or sadness has filled my soul, and I feel like hate and wrongs have plagued our society to an unbelievable extent, I can rest assured because the Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem many years ago. When I can’t seem to walk another step, and my world has come to a complete standstill, I gain the courage to go forward because I know that God is with me! Christmas does not mean a time of outlandish presents and trying to give someone a more expensive gift than they gave you. Christmas means a Savior came into the world to save us from our sins. Can their be a worse sin to God than covetousness? Our lives do not consist in the abundance of things we possess. But we live in the grace and mercy God granted humanity on that dark night so many years ago, in a little town called Bethlehem; a place where there was no room for Joseph and Mary to sleep at the inn. All they could find was a lowly stable, a borrowed manger, hay for a mattress and swaddling clothes instead of tinsel and sparkling lights. In the midst of a taxed and burdened world, a crowded little town of annoyed and irritated people, our Savior came to save all humanity from sin. God’s good will toward all men appeared that night so we could have life. In the cradle of a simple manger, God began a new chapter in the history of humanity that night; a history that would unite a sin-stained creation and its Creator forever. These good tidings are for all people, not just Christians. Yes, even you! The Scriptures says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). From our church to your home may you have the most blessed Christmas ever! If you or a loved one needs prayer please contact us at 860-489-4137 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Also I invite you to our church services. We are the Full Gospel Lighthouse Church, 624 Torringford West Street, Torrington, CT 06790. Our schedule of services is Sunday at 10 AM and 7PM and Wednesday at 7:30 PM. We will be having a Christmas Eve service at 7: 30PM and a New Years Eve service at 9PM. May God’s abundant blessings be yours always! Sincerely,

Rev. Daniel Bossidy P.S. Please remember to watch “The Word Of Light” broadcast, hosted by my dear friend Rev. Eleanor Kalinsky on Wednesday at 10:30AM on your local ION-TV station.