Devotionals, Bible studies and posts to deepen our faith in Christ. Also check out our self-published books.
Why Wealth Distribution (Socialism) Does Not Work
Recently, I was speaking with someone who began to say that the ultra wealthy do not pay enough in taxes. The individual then asked me (as a tax professional) for my opinion on this issue. In the last few months, you have no doubt been aware that the amount of income...
Evolution, Communism and Christianity
In this post, we will consider evolution and, in particular, its role in Communism and how it is differentiated from Christ and Christianity. Evolution is purported to be a scientific theory on the origin of the universe and is commonly credited to Charles Darwin....
Only A Strong Church Stands in the Way of Communism
This post is a bit long, but I trust you will find it worth reading. In the United States, both the church’s influence and a Biblical belief in God on the individual level have been declining for quite some time. Many will point to the 1960s as the beginning point,...
Communism vs. Christ: Education
Communism in the United States is nothing new. It was documented in the 1950s when the Un-American Committee of Congress still existed. It was documented in the life of Henry F. Ward in the early days of the ACLU (1920-1940). However, covering a much earlier time...
Parable of the Talents, Part 8
One of the key reasons I wanted to study the parable of the talents is to better understand what the Lord expects of me. I do not usually write about myself, but perhaps this post will be helpful for others. At a young age, I sensed the Lord calling me to ministry,...
Parable of the Talents, Part 7
In an earlier post, the temptation of envy was introduced. Envy is a constant temptation for us. We would do well to remember the core principle of the parable, which is faithfulness. I believe there are times that we prefer usefulness over faithfulness. Take, for...
Parable of the Talents, Part 6
An important question to consider in the parable of the talents is how do we define love? We began this series by demonstrating that faithfulness is at the core of the parable. A directly related topic is love. If the servants love the master, they will be faithful....
Parable of the Talents, Part 5
Of the many talents entrusted to us from God is the advantage of our own souls and the advantage of the souls of others. We can understand this more plainly through the first and second greatest commandments in Matthew 22:36-40. Understood this way, no part of the...
Parable of the Talents, Part 4
There is one other point about the unfaithful servant we should review before continuing with the parable. Considering that Christ is teaching the parable and that the parable is about the kingdom of heaven, the unfaithful servant’s portrayal of Christ is particularly...
Parable of the Talents, Part 3
Part of the trouble with the unfaithful servant in the parable of the talents is a works-based theology. The servant believed that he could save himself through works. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses...
Parable of the Talents, Part 2
In John 15:2, we read, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” This verse ties back to the parable of the talents and teaches us an important lesson. Industriousness...
Parable of the Talents, Part 1
I have been studying the parable of the talents, which is found in Matthew 25:14-30. We will take some time to unpack the meaning of the parable. It is, for me, a guiding principle for 2025 both in my business and personal affairs. The opening description of the...
What Is Worship?
This topic was developed over the 2024 Christmas break. On Christmas morning, our family reads the traditional story from Luke chapter 2 telling the birth of Christ. This Christmas, we decided to do something different and read multiple passages, including the wise...
Study on Ephesians, Part 15
Paul closes Ephesians in chapter 6:10-24 with an exhortation unto Christian perfection. We are exhorted to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil”, “resist in the evil day”, and “extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one”. If we are living victoriously...
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BOOKS
Expository Bible study on Ephesians 5:22-33 on a Biblical marriage. Rather than a self-help resource, this book is aimed at deepening your relationship with Christ.
Catechism to help intentionally teach important concepts of Christianity to children and new believers. The focus is on tracing Christ throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
Devotional book for December 1st through December 25th. As we prepare our hearts during the traditional advent season, let us also prepare for the second coming of Christ.
Free e-book by an independent tax and financial professional. This booklet aims to assist individuals preparing for ministry and missions to honor God through finances.
ABOUT
ANTICIPATINGCHRIST.COM
R. Joseph Ritter, Jr. CFP® EA is an independent tax professional, financial planner and owner of Somerset Tax Partners LLC. He is the founder and president of Zacchaeus Financial Counseling, Inc., a non-profit organization serving the financial planning and financial counseling needs of lower and middle income households. Joe is also a consecrated Conference Deacon in the New South Conference of the Free Methodist Church USA. Joe received his Master’s Degree in World Mission and Evangelism from Asbury Theological Seminary. His non-profit leadership and Christian ministry includes such past positions as Pastor, Director of Outreach, volunteer Chaplain with Transport for Christ International, co-founder of Community Chaplains Association, and Financial Aid Director at Kentucky Mountain Bible College. He is the author of Having An E5 Marriage; 25 Days of Christmas Devotional; Jacob’s Testimony: A Catechism Teaching the Praises, Strength and Wondrous Works of the Lord; and You’re Called to the Ministry. Now What?
Joe has been married for over 20 years and has four children. He enjoys writing as a hobby … as well as carpentry and automotive mechanics.