Devotionals, Bible studies and posts to deepen our faith in Christ. Also check out our self-published books.
Christmas Special: The Great Light of Christ!
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Isaiah 9:2 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on...
Study of 1 John, Part 7
John now shifts his message toward false teaching and truth. We will see this again in 1 John 4:1, where he makes it our obligation to weed out the false from the true. I believe it is safe to say that 1 John 2:18-29 was written as an obligation. We are to know the...
Study of 1 John, Part 8
Chapter 3 opens with the love of God, the imitation of Christ, and that we are children of God. Chapter 3 also picks up where chapter 2 leaves off. Verses 28 and 29 of chapter 2 exhort us to abide in Christ and practice righteousness. The outcome is explained in verse...
Study of 1 John, Part 6
In the previous post, verses 10 and 15 were reviewed together. If you did not notice, the teachings of these two verses are complete opposites. Verse 10 is an exhortation to love the brethren, while verse 15 exhorts against loving the world. Curiously, however, the...
Study of 1 John, Part 5
Verses 10 and 15 of 1 John 2 introduce us to the theme of love in the book of 1 John. We’ll take this post to discuss the word “love,” and it will help us understand love once we run into it in future posts. We will also backtrack just a bit to explain the greater...
Study of 1 John, Part 4
Chapter 2 of 1 John picks up where chapter 1 leaves off. The exhortation of John is that we may not sin. Again, this is clear teaching on Christian perfection and that it is possible to not sin. To those who believe it is not possible to stop sinning, 1 John...
Study of 1 John, Part 3
1 John 1:9 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, and it carries tremendous meaning. The word “cleanse” in 1 John 1:9 carries with it a greater meaning than a simple cleaning. When a plate is washed, we declare it to be clean and that it is free from dirt....
Study of 1 John, Part 2
Some time back, I posted a blog on Romans 8:12 and demonstrated that we are free from the bondage of sin. Although the doctrine of Christian perfection is also evident in other verses, I believe Romans chapter 8 makes a compelling case for Christian perfection. If we...
Study of 1 John, Part 1
I have been promising a study of 1 John, and this is the first in a series of posts on an expository study of 1 John. I hope you enjoy it and come away with spiritual growth! Let’s start with themes in 1 John and the overarching purpose of 1 John. Themes which recur...
Church Growth is not Evangelism, Part 5
In this final post on Church Growth Tactics Are Not Evangelism, I am going to wade into the contemporary music debate as it relates to use of such music in worship of God. As I wade into this debate, I freely acknowledge that I know next to nothing about music theory....
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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.