What Next?

"When a kingdom man orders his life to function personally under the lordship of Jesus Christ in his thoughts, will, actions, and prayers, that man's influence goes beyond himself and even beyond his own family. No greater challenge exists today than impacting our communities and our country for good. That involves leaving a lasting legacy."

There are very few problems in our culture today that you cannot trace directly back to the breakdown of the family. If the family functions according to the principles of the kingdom, then it follows that both the church and society function reflectively. Being a kingdom husband is a responsibility. You are to be your wife's savior, pastor, and lover. As a savior, you are someone she can cling to. Anytime, in a safe environment where she doesn't feel uncomfortable. Secondly, you are to sanctify your wife. Sanctification is the process of taking someone from where they are into what they ought to be. It is through sanctification you are able to demonstrate to your wife what it means to be covered by a kingdom man. Not a perfect man, but a kingdom man who has her best interests at heart and who loves her even to the point of sacrificing his own needs and wants to provide that love. You don't have to be a scholar as the spiritual head of your home to satisfy your wife, but you need to be intentional about leading her in spiritual growth as her pastor. So many men neglect the greatest gift they have been given in life, their wife, and they do it to their own detriment. Study her. Get to know her. Find out what motivates and inspires her. She is built to be cherished.

The way God designed a family to be led, particularly by a father, is around the table. A Jewish father raised his family around the table. The table wasn't just a place for eating. It was a place for a man to spend substantive time every day teaching, listening, knowing, and leading his family. It is there he poured value and significance into the lives of his children and wife. To many of our tables sit empty today. Men's schedules are full, women's schedules are full, and the children's schedules are full. In failing to prioritize the consistency of the family table, or daily family time wherever you choose to spend it, we have failed to lead our families well. Nothing can fill the hole made from the absence of a husband or father. The time you spend together doesn't have to be fancy, just make it a priority to be with your family. Family must come first after God. It is how He designed our lives to function. The time you spend with your family should never be second thought. Put first things first.

One of the things that we, as men, have often missed in the church in multiple ways is both experiencing and displaying God's power and blessings collectively. The church is intended to be a group of people who have been called to bring the governance of God into the relevant application and practice of humankind. One of your primary responsibilities men, is to locate a church body that you can be a part of that offers discipleship opportunities, sound teaching, and ways to serve and mentor. Church is to be the place to grow boys into men through spiritual parenting. The biblical church exists to advance God's kingdom, not just defend it. No one pays for a ticket and parking to go to a football game just to watch the huddle. The purpose of the huddle is to plan how to score. Then you have to show what you can do as a team when eleven men on the other side of the ball are daring you to go public with your private conversation. Church is the huddle men. What we do after the huddle, in our community and in our nation, reveals the true strength of our team. A community ought to be a better place than it was before, if the men in it are acting as kingdom men.

The solution to reversing the curse that plagues our society is simple: Kingdom men, man up. Only when men take their rightful place within our culture as the husbands, fathers, and citizens that they were created to be then will the atmosphere change. Men, God is watching. Some of the greatness comes in history. Most comes in eternity. Yet if you want to be great and if you want to be blessed, then take every opportunity to demonstrate that you fear God. Both with internal opportunities and external opportunities, holding Him in highest honor and esteem in every aspect of your lives. One place fearing God will take you... is experiencing the abundant life that Christ promised you. Your destiny will be full. We need kingdom men who will change the world. Before our world changes us. This is not the time for secret agent Christians, spiritual CIA representatives, or covert operatives. It is time now for kingdom men to man up. Everyone else is going public. It's time for us as kingdom men to break our huddle and go public too.

(Tony Evans-Kingdom Man)

"How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,

You will be happy and it will be well with you.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house,

Your children like olive plants around your table.

Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed

Who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you from Zion,

And many you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

Indeed, may you see your children's children.

Peace be upon Israel!" - Psalm 128

That does it for the Kingdom Man series. Buy the book! Start a group at your church! I only took small snippets spanning over several chapters at a time. There's so much more to learn, and his personal testimonies are powerful. Let's answer the call. Man up. One of my favorite scriptures is in Acts 17, and it says, "He determined the times set before them and the exact places they should live." That applies to us. Now. For such a time as this. Let's mentor, reach out, meet a need, one person at a time. God bless.