April 2021 – Tanisha Rhenae Consulting

Author: Dr. Tony Evans

Genre: Christian

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You probably know by now how Dr. Tony Evans has profoundly impacted my life through his ministry. Watching his sermons and reading his books has helped me see how impactful someone can be when they truly read and study the Word of God and then live it out. I was blessed with the opportunity to be on the book release team for Dr. Evans newest book, Kingdom Men Rising. And while I usually don’t read his books geared towards men (I gave Chris Kingdom Men), something told me I had to read this one. Initially, I was reading it to be able to provide support and encouragement to Chris as he walks through life, leading us as a family while he follows Christ. But while reading the first couple of chapters, God reminded me that I am reading this book to support my future sons.

My Thoughts

I’m not sure how many books Dr. Evans has written after Mrs. Evans went to be with the Lord, but I read at least one, God, Himself. And while it was a fantastic book that I would recommend for new believers, there was something different about it from his other books. Reading Kingdom Men Rising, I noticed almost immediately that his writing style returned to match the other books that I’ve read that he has written. Reading the account of him deciding to get up and preach only a day after losing his wife of 49 1/2 years pulled at my emotions. To see Dr. Evans honor God, his wife speaks to how much he truly believes in what the Bible says about God as our comforter. Throughout the book, you see Dr. Evans not only honor his wife in this way, but his children and his father, who he notes is the original kingdom man in his life.

While reading, I felt like I was being let into his innermost thoughts and feelings, especially those about his wife and her last days on earth. I realized that he was gifting us with a piece of their history that we didn’t deserve. Each time, I would take some time to reflect on my marriage and what God has done for us. The trials and struggles. The triumphs and celebrations. As a military spouse, I experience long periods when my husband is gone. Reading Dr. Evans thoughts during one of those seasons really allowed me the opportunity to treasure my life with my husband.

I’ve always wondered about the background story of how Dr. Evans got started in ministry. This book provided me with the information I was looking for and at the same time provided confirmation for a recent prayer request I’ve had. He was surrounded by men who built him up spiritually and led by example the type of life a Kingdom Man should live. Sprinkled throughout the book, he often speaks of the men that poured into his life and influenced him. But he also talks about those that he poured into and the impact they have had on others’ lives. He outlines the characteristics of what a kingdom man is and what they should do, but he is also giving real-life examples of those living as kingdom men. And we are blessed with plenty of personal examples from Dr. Evans own life.

Dr. Evans probably doesn’t want to hear this since it wasn’t his intent, but there were plenty of nuggets in this book that relate to men and women. I was experiencing a depressive episode one day and started reading. A couple of pages in, and there was this one paragraph that I needed to read. It spoke to my heart, my spirit, the depression. I captured it as a constant reminder. As I read through more of the book, it was like I was keeping a running tally of qualities I already see in my husband, qualities that I will pray he continues to grow in. Then there were items that I knew just being a kingdom disciple myself, I could apply to my life.

One of the things that I loved about this book is the detail of practical application Dr. Evans gives. I’ve noticed a trend lately where people tell you what you need to do but don’t tell you how to do it. For example, when Dr. Evans is explaining the need to change your thought life to overcome strongholds. He doesn’t just end with “take your thoughts captive.” He explains, find God’s thoughts on a matter and align your thinking with His. This may sound simple, but taking your thoughts captive when your thoughts are causing your mental struggle is no easy feat. So to have actual steps to take is extremely helpful. I even had the opportunity to share it with a group of women who were expressing mental struggles. It was easy to translate everything Dr. Evans said and all the biblical references he provided to real life.

Kingdom Men Rising was more than I expected. It didn’t disappoint, and I’m walking away proud of the kingdom man I am married to. I have specific requests that I can go to God for on His behalf. When we are blessed with children, I know exactly what to pray over my sons. I already have plans on rereading the book and gifting it to a few people. I’m encouraged to see a movement of Kingdom Men Rising up in the home, church, and our communities and the impact that will have on our country and world. This is a must-read, and I was happy to give it the five stars it deserved.

As a part of the launch team, I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

One of the things that I wanted my blog to be is a learning resource. I picked the month of April to launch my business because it is a month full of National Recognition that is so closely related to the work that I do. Today I want to recognize the first one.

On April 11th, 1968, one week after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who was monumental in the passing of the 1964 Act, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an extension to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include the Fair Housing Act. It prohibits discrimination in the sale, renting, or financing of housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status.

Fair Housing Poster from Hud.gov

While the Act was passed 53 years ago, we know that we still have a long way to go to stand up against discrimination in the housing market. Not only are Blacks and other People of Color disproportionately disadvantaged when it comes to homeownership, we often run into lower appraisal values, not having enough cash for a downpayment (due to lower wages), and not being able to be competitive in a seller’s market.

In 2020, according to Redfin.com, only 44% of Black American’s owned a home compared to 74% of white Americans. A recent story out of California tells the story of the Austin’s and their struggle to obtain homeownership. They had to purchase a home off-market from another Black family just to reach their dream. They then put over $400,000 into the home that was built in the 1960s. They added a new level, replaced the floor and appliances, built a deck, adding in total an additional 1,000 square feet to their property.

When they got it appraised, the older white appraiser valued the property for $989,000, only $100,000 more than the property was previously appraised for BEFORE the renovations. After fighting to get a second appraisal, they decided to trick the system. A white friend of theirs offered to pose as the wife, removed all family photos, and replaced them with her family pictures. That appraisal came in at $1,482,000—about $500,000 more than the one done just a month prior.

The National Association of Realtors says that Black applicants are rejected for loans three times more than white applicants. Is there any surprise that there is so much of a gap in wealth in this country between races? Homeownership is one of the ways to gain generational wealth and legacy, and these facts are just one of the reasons that Black American’s are far behind their white counterparts in the journey to wealth.

If you are a professional, I recommend signing up for the National Fair Housing Training Academy (I am) and doing your part to help fight against discriminatory practices in the housing industry. As a financial counselor, my goal is to help you achieve your dreams, and if homeownership is how that happens, then let’s make it happen! I’ll be sharing more tips and resources over on my social media pages for the business: Instagram and Facebook. Coming soon to our website is a resource and referral list that will include housing professionals to help your dream come true.