Pathlight Studies

Sometimes, lessons have to be learned the hard way, and in the case of David, tragedy was the outcome of sin. Forgiveness is sometimes only obtained at great cost, and character is often forged in the fires of mental anguish. The story of David and Bathsheba is found in the book of 2 Samuel, as King David falls to temptation, and commits a great sin against the Lord, and ultimately pays a very heavy price for it.  David was beloved by the people from the time that he was just a young shepherd boy, because of his courage and great faith in the defeat of Goliath. He went on to become king, he commanded armies, and was very powerful, and sometimes, power breeds corruption. One evening, as he was on his rooftop, he saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba, and he enquired about her. However, after he found out that she was the wife of one of his soldiers, he makes the decision to take her for himself anyway. She becomes pregnant, and when David finds out about it, he sends her husband, ...

We've all had times in our life when we have had to learn a lesson the hard way. Sometimes, consequences have to be imposed upon us, and we must suffer loss or damages in order for things to really sink in. Sometimes, even tragedy has to strike before our eyes are opened. There are many biblical examples of people who had to learn lessons the hard way, and I'd like for us to take a look at some of them and the consequences that they faced, as well as the lessons that they learned. We'll begin this week with Jonah, and the hard lesson that he learned when he tried to run away from God. After he was told by God that he was to go to the city of Nineveh to speak out against the people and their evil ways, Jonah made the decision to run away. He found a ship, and paid his fare to board it, and was bound for a place called Tarshish, hidden from the eyes of the Lord, or so he thought. But God knew where Jonah was. He sent a great storm which threatened to sink the ship. The crew...

Have you ever wondered to yourself..."Where is Jesus at this moment?" or "What is Jesus doing right now?" I'd like for us to try to address these questions, and take a look at what Jesus has told us that He would be doing in the time between His ascension back into heaven and the time that He returns.  First of all, let us begin by acknowledging the fact that Jesus has the power to be in more than one place at any given time. We know that Jesus is with us as we worship, as we are told in Matthew 18:20..." For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. " So, we see that He is with us as we gather together in a church service, or as we come together to pray. However, we know that after Jesus ascended into Heaven that He had other business that He had to attend to, and that He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us as a comforter and guide. Jesus tells us in John 16:7..." Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it ...

This week, I'd like for us to take a look at  the concept of eternity. We cannot, as human beings, fully understand the scope or magnitude of eternity. We think, "well, eternity means forever", and this is true, but how do we define forever? Let's try to put things in terms that we can relate to, such as a drop of water. Think of your life, your entire life, from the day that you were born, till now, and through till the end of your life, as a single drop of water. Just one drop of water, encapsulating all that you were, or are, or ever will be. Your entire life as a single drop of water. Now, let's think about that one drop of water in comparison with an ocean. We can't fathom how many individual drops of water there could possibly be in an ocean, in our mind they are innumerable. If one drop of water in this ocean is our entire lifetime, and the ocean represents eternity, what does this tell us? We cannot fully grasp the scope of eternity. But what if thi...

We have all had instances when we asked God for something, for help with a situation, for guidance, or for provision, and He has come through for us in a big way. Or, maybe, it has been in a small or subtle way, but we knew that our prayers had been answered. These instances help to bolster our faith, and they let us know that God hears our prayers, and that He loves us. But, what happens when God says "No"? I'd like to begin by stressing the fact that just because God may deny a request does not indicate that He no longer cares for us, or that He no longer has our best interest at heart. It does not mean that He is not listening to us anymore, that He is mad at us, or that we no longer matter to Him. In fact, it may mean just the opposite. Let's look at a few instances in the bible where God's answer was "no", and the repercussions of these incidents... The first instance we'll look at is the rejection of Moses' plea to enter into t...

This week, I'd like for us to examine two very vital, and yet very different, biblical concepts, mercy and grace. Many people are under the mistaken impression that these terms are interchangeable, that they are the same thing, but this is not the case. I have a plaque which explains the difference very well. It reads..." Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve. Mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve. " Let's examine these differences a little further... Ephesians 2:1-9 gives examples of both mercy and grace, and contrasts one with the other in a very profound way..." And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and...