by Eric Holter on September 1, 2009
Psalm 50 is a sobering Psalm. Right off the bat it positions the Lord as judge over all the earth. In the first 15 verses God summons his people and delivers a surprising rebuke. They had been offering sacrifices rightly enough, according to God’s own statues. So his rebuke is not so much for that. Yet in another sense it was–for even when sacrificing properly, they were not honoring God. He reminded them that he owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. Therefore, they couldn’t give to God anything that He did not already own. And in receiving these sacrifices, which were already his, he does not receive them as though he needed them–he wasn’t hungry for meat and blood.
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on July 22, 2009
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:15
I am often guilty of the evil boasting of arrogance that presumptuously declares where I will go and what I will do as though such things were in my control. I’ve been trying to obey the instruction that James gives about not boasting, but instead saying “if the Lord wills” I will do such and such. But I noticed something in my most recent reading of this passage. James doesn’t just tell us to say “if the Lord wills we will do this or that,” he says “if the Lord wills we will live and do this or that.” [click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on June 5, 2006
They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?”
Genesis 44:7-8
Joseph’s brothers protested against the accusation of theft. They were indignant, even offended, that such men as themselves would be accused. They appealed to their character and their righteousness against the charge, “far be it from your servants,” “how then could we steal.” Their protest against the specific charge was genuine since they had been set up by Joseph. Yet when the silver cup was discovered they tore their clothes and fell down. They confessed before Joseph “God has found out the iniquity of your servants.”
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on May 5, 2006
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:11
It will be much easier for me if I humble myself than if I must be humbled by external means. When pride rules in my heart I strive and strain, kicking against the restraint of rules, or responsibilities, or any of the circumstances God ordains to rein me in. But if I walk in humility, those implements which impose restraint will be worn comfortably.
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on December 12, 2005
Eric Holter, September, 2003 – December, 2005
I’m an American – home of the free, land of liberty, fight for your rights – American. And I was born a New England Yankee – live free or die, don’t tread on me, toss the tea overboard – Yankee. I grew up in Connecticut and settled in Rhode Island where Roger Williams established the state on the foundation of religious freedom. Today, on top of the Rhode Island state house stands the “independent man.” He grips his spear shining in golden splendor, as he exalts the virtues of freedom and independence. He reminds all Rhode Islanders that our forebears fought and died for freedom. We Americans love our independence. Every 4th of July we celebrate how we won it through revolution. Throughout our history America has stood tall and fought for the superior virtue of freedom and independence at home and throughout the world – and we continue to fight for it to this day.
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on November 10, 2005
“And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, ‘Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.”
Luke 9:43-46
It is an amazing testimony to the tenacity of indwelling sin, that not even a front row seat before the radiance of the glory of Christ can eradicate our pride and arrogance. We need to see the glory of Christ, but we need to see His glory in and through the cross in order to put sin to death.
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on October 10, 2005
“And departing, they began going about among the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.”
Luke 9:6
I wonder how the gospel was preached prior to the crucifixion? Throughout Jesus’ ministry He and His disciples preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Whatever allusions to the cross contained in these messages were lost to its hearers. Yet the gospel was preached. Certainly, there are many things that can be said about the gospel without direct reference to the cross. For example: righteous requirements for human conduct, promises for future rewards, hope for peace, and standards for justice. Such facets of the nascent gospel were understood best by Jews – because they had the law and prophets as context. Even so the Jews struggled to comprehend the basic aspects of the non-cross centered gospel – how much more perplexing would a cross exalting gospel be to them.
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on August 10, 2005
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;’”
Genesis 1:14
I don’t look up enough. I think God wants me to look up a lot and gaze at the sun, moon and stars. God made them to be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. In order to use the stars this way requires a lot of observation. Civilizations throughout history have observed the heavens and invented systems and used them for measuring seasons, and making maps to find their way. To make use of this inherent functionality of the stars required them to look intensely, observing and recording over long periods of time. Not only did they have to observe, record, and analyze the stars in order to understand there function, once they established these systems, putting them to use required people to look at them all the time. I suspect that God has an ulterior motive in requiring us to spend so much time star gazing. That is, to make us remember Him. When I stare up at the night sky, full of stars, I cannot help but to feel my own smallness. [click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on August 5, 2005
“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, ‘I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.’”
Luke 7:9
This is the second time this centurion has captured my attention. When I encountered him during my meditations in Matthew chapter eight I wrote a devotional called “A Centurion Came to Him, Entreating Him.” What originally captured my attention was Jesus’s estimation of this man’s faith – I wanted to squeeze out as many insights into what this great faith was like, so that my own faith might grow too. This time I encountered him in Luke chapter seven. Here I’ve been impressed with the kind of life that nurtured such great faith. If a soul is like soil, which, if it’s good, bears fruit according to the seed sown in it, then I want to examine the composition of this centurion’s soil. It must been some good soil for Jesus to marvel its fruit!
[click to continue…]
by Eric Holter on July 5, 2005
“And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips…”
“And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;”
Luke 4:22, 28
How sobering is the sovereign will of God. He turns hearts one way or the other according to His eternal purposes. Jesus did not ride the wave of human of applause as he preached the gospel. By His own words He provoked the stubbornness and disobedience that was thinly concealed in the hearts of His own people. Even while the people of Nazareth wondered at His gracious words He changed the theme. Through true, prophetic words He announced that the kingdom blessings they had been longing for would not be given to them but rather to foreigners. By these words their pre-existing sins of stubbornness and rebellion were cemented – their rejection was firmly set, their blindness complete, and their backs forever bent.
[click to continue…]
