Kingdom Men Rising Devotional

By Tony Evans

Step Up to God's Call Every Day

You were created to help build God's kingdom. By walking in victory and faith, you can make a lasting impact on your family, your community, and your country. This 90-day devotional will challenge you to apply discipleship skills and a leadership mind-set to all areas of life. Dr. Evans brings his insights, stories, and wise counsel to clear obstacles in your path, leading you to the abundant life and lasting influence you long for.

Replace helplessness, boredom, and regret with vibrancy, power, and joy. Use the Kingdom Men Rising Devotional and take steps in your faith to become the powerful man of God you were made to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781493433728

Tony Evans

Dr. Tony Evans is founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, and author of The Power of God’s Names, Victory in Spiritual Warfare, and many other books. Dr. Evans is the first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, as well as the first African American to author both a study Bible and full Bible commentary. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 2,000 US outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Learn more at TonyEvans.org.

Book preview

© 2021 by Dr. Tony Evans

Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-3372-8

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Some material in chapters 9, 13, 14, and 15 adapted from Tony Evans, America: Turning a Nation to God (Chicago: Moody, 2015), chapter 2.

Some material in chapters 40, 42, 43, 44, and 45 adapted from 30 Days to Overcoming Addictive Behavior, Copyright © 2017 by Tony Evans. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 97408. www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Some material in chapters 41 and 42 adapted from It’s Not Too Late, Copyright © 2012 by Tony Evans. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 97408. www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Some material in chapters 52, 55, and 56 adapted from Tony Evans, Oneness Embraced (Chicago, Moody, 2015), chapter 2.

Some material in chapter 83 adapted from Tony Evans, Raising Kingdom Kids: Giving Your Child a Living Faith (Carol Stream, IL: Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale, 2014), chapter 11.

Cover design by Dan Pitts

Contents

Cover

Half Title Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

Day 29

Day 30

Day 31

Day 32

Day 33

Day 34

Day 35

Day 36

Day 37

Day 38

Day 39

Day 40

Day 41

Day 42

Day 43

Day 44

Day 45

Day 46

Day 47

Day 48

Day 49

Day 50

Day 51

Day 52

Day 53

Day 54

Day 55

Day 56

Day 57

Day 58

Day 59

Day 60

Day 61

Day 62

Day 63

Day 64

Day 65

Day 66

Day 67

Day 68

Day 69

Day 70

Day 71

Day 72

Day 73

Day 74

Day 75

Day 76

Day 77

Day 78

Day 79

Day 80

Day 81

Day 82

Day 83

Day 84

Day 85

Day 86

Day 87

Day 88

Day 89

Day 90

Appendix: The Urban Alternative

Acknowledgments

Notes

Back Ad

Back Cover

Day

One

Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Genesis 1:26

God created the man prior to creating the woman, like pouring a foundation first, because the success or failure of God’s created purpose of building His kingdom in history would be directly related to a man’s relationship with and submission to God’s rule over his life. Foundations don’t have to be fancy or pretty, but they do have to be strong. When a foundation is weak, everything resting on it is at risk. God holds the man ultimately responsible for holding up what He has entrusted to his care while simultaneously advancing His kingdom program.

If God can get His men to pursue an intimate relationship with Him while simultaneously representing Him in all we do, He will reverse the downward spiral of the culture. God is waiting on His kingdom men to rise from our spiritual slumber and accept the responsibility of reversing the decay and disunity that engulf us.

Just as the first Adam brought defeat to the human race, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, came to bring victory. It’s time for God’s men, under the lordship of Jesus Christ, to change the trajectory of our culture as we submit ourselves to Him and His kingdom agenda.

ACTION

Assess your personal foundation on a scale of 1–10.

What practice can you put in place to strengthen the foundation you provide to those around you?

Name one thing you are willing to do this week in order to start heading in that direction.

PRAYER

Jesus, open my eyes to the truth of where I am strong and where I am weak as a man. Help me to have the humility that is necessary to shore up the foundation and fill in the cracks where it is needed most. I ask for greater wisdom and strength as I pursue You and Your role for me to rise up as a kingdom man so that I can have a positive impact on the culture and on those I love. In Your name, amen.

Day

Two

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Awakening our biblical manhood requires the commitment and the discipline to honor God in all we do. But what we often forget is that this determination is frequently formed in us over the course of our lives. It doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. We are in this together. Nothing difficult we overcome ever rests solely on our own shoulders. That’s one reason God emphasizes unity and the power of fellowship and discipleship throughout Scripture.

If you saw the film series The Lord of the Rings, you likely remember one of the most famous scenes. It comes toward the end of The Return of the King. The main character, Frodo, whose role it was to carry the burden of the evil ring to its destruction and thus save the world, had lost all strength. He lay unable to move forward. If he didn’t make it to the top of the mountain to throw the ring in the fire, the quest would be lost.

That’s when his companion, Sam, made a bold move. Scooping Frodo up in his arms and lifting him onto his back, he carried Frodo when he could no longer move forward on his own. Come on, Mr. Frodo, he says with all the strength he can muster. I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.1 Similarly, we as men may not be able to carry each other’s burdens, but we can do our part to lift, encourage, support, and draw near to those in need to help them finish the task of overcoming any evil that seeks to defeat them.

ACTION

Identify hesitancies you have toward helping other men carry their burdens.

In what ways can you overcome these hesitancies in order to fulfill your role as a kingdom man?

What are some hindrances that keep men from accepting someone else’s help, and in what ways do you identify with these?

PRAYER

Jesus, I want to be a greater help to other men in need. Show me how I can strengthen my own walk with You in order to be better positioned to help someone else. Give me wisdom on how I can use the gifts and grace You have given to me to support, encourage, and lift up men around me. In Your name, amen.

Day

Three

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

2 Corinthians 4:5

We need kingdom men who are willing to invest not only in their own personal growth and opportunities, but also in others’. We need men who are willing to sacrifice time and effort to unleash someone else’s potential. We are in this thing called life together. That’s how we make it. That’s how we man up. That’s how we change the world for God and for good. We do it by living out the definition of a kingdom man: a male who visibly and consistently submits to the comprehensive relationship and rule of God, underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in every area of his life.1

A kingdom man accepts his responsibilities under God and faithfully carries them out. These responsibilities include caring for his family, serving in his church, and being present to positively impact others around him. When he is faithful to do these things, and more, God moves even pagan powers and other forces on earth to support him in advancing the kingdom agenda. God brings upon him the blessings and favor He promised to Abraham years ago.

When a kingdom man lives according to his designed purpose, he joins with other men in influencing culture, politics, entertainment, and more through intentional discipleship. This process produces kingdom disciples who then go and do the same. The process becomes cyclical, leading to multigenerational impact.

ACTION

Write the definition of a kingdom man where you can look at it over the course of the next week. Seek to memorize this definition.

What are some practical examples of consistently submitting to God’s comprehensive rule over every area of life?

Name one area where you do not consistently submit to God’s rule and identify one way you can seek to change that.

PRAYER

Jesus, I desire and intend to live as a kingdom man who consistently submits to the comprehensive relationship and rule of God underneath Your lordship in every area of my life. I do not always live up to this desire, so I ask for Your mercy and grace for those times I do not. Show me also how to extend mercy and grace to myself so that I do not live in guilt and shame for falling short. In Your name, amen.

Day

Four

Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Philippians 3:17

As kingdom men, we must grab hold of those who need to be shown a better way, rather than write them off. Paul told Timothy and others in his sphere of influence that they were to follow his example as he followed Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1 and Philippians 3:17). Keep in mind that to have an example to follow means you must have someone setting one. This requires living in a spiritually