Devotionals, Bible studies and posts to deepen our faith in Christ. Also check out our self-published books.
Trust
Scripture reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-49 It is easy for us to read a story like David and Goliath and exclaim, "Wow, look at what the Lord did!" It is easy because we are not the ones getting our hands wet selecting stones from the brook. We are not the ones holding the...
Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control
Self-control. We get restraint and temperance from the original word used here translated as self-control. To arrive at a proper understanding and definition of self-control, we first have to understand what control means. In other words, what are we controlling...
Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
Gentleness. Gentleness is related to “meek” found in Matthew 5:5 from the Beatitudes Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount, and the King James Version actually translates this word as meekness. This meekness is rooted in the Old Testament (Numbers 12:3, Psalm 22:26,...
Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
Faithfulness. Faithfulness can be interpreted in multiple ways. It is commonly thought of as devotion, such as our devotion to God or a dog being a faithful companion to a person. However, this is not the faithfulness intended here. Galatians 5 intends that this...
Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
Goodness. The original word is noted by the Lexicon to only be used in the Bible and ecclesiastical writings. The word is commonly thought to mean upright, however, the Lexicon leaves room for the word to be interpreted as beneficent, which means to perform acts of...
Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
Kindness. Once again, there are several different forms of kindness. One is originating from our character, such as moral goodness and integrity. The other is kindness toward others. The kindness often spoken of in the New Testament is from Christ toward us, such as...
Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
Patience. Long-suffering is also translated as patience. There are several different types of patience. One form is to endure or persevere trouble. The other form, which is the meaning in Galatians, is “slowness in avenging wrongs.” While they have very similar...
Fruit of the Spirit: Love and Joy
Love. There are many variations and meanings of love. People love chocolate or a dog. A woman loves a man. A follower of Christ loves the Lord. Love in the Biblical sense is a word which has its root in Leviticus 19:17-18, “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in...
Fruit of the Spirit: Introduction
Scripture reading: Galatians 5:19-26. This is the first in a series of articles on the Fruit of the Spirit. Before getting into the list in Galatians, there are several points which must be considered and used as a guide for what you will be reading in this series. 1....
Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
Peace. The peace spoken of here is not peace we have within ourselves, but peace between one another or harmony with people around us. The opposite of this peace is described well in Isaiah 59:1-8. This is one area in particular where I have seen many problems arise...
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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.
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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.