Tags
Blessings of Unity, Book Review, Christian Living, Elevate Faith, FlyBy, Marriage, Richard T. Case, Unity
Title: The Blessings of Unity: God’s Best for Our Marriages
Author: Richard T. Case
Published by: Elevate Faith on 9/15/2015
138 Pages (Paperback)
Blurb:
Many movements in today’s society have combined to create an atmosphere that at best teaches married couples very little about how to find happiness together, and at worst threatens to destroy the sanctity with which God intends his children to approach that union. Self-centeredness and misinformation have led many away from walking in the Spirit and loving their spouses in Christlike ways, disqualifying them from the blessings that God has in store for his unified children. The Blessings of Unity offers insight and ideas for creating godly unity in our marriages centered around two key concepts:
- 1) Abiding in the Vine and walking in the Spirit, and
- 2) Learning and applying the concept of unity.
Unity is achieved when a man and woman strive for agreement with God by processing His Will on every decision and in every issue. Through Biblically-centered discussions of discord, division, unity, discipleship, and prayer, and through exploring Biblical examples of unity, Richard Case offers husbands and wives practical and spiritual advice for working together in unity in the Spirit so that they can more perfectly present themselves to God for his divine approval.
My Take: This was a difficult book for me to gauge. The writing throughout most of the book was difficult to read, taking more of a sermonistic tone than the conversational and personal tone that is common in Christian non-fiction these days. There is some excellent information passed along, both on disunity and how getting into unity with your spouse can bring about those blessings. There are some solid portions of Scripture to accompany Case’s message, along with some early examples from his own life and marriage.
There is a heavy focus in here of not only being in unity with your spouse, but also of abiding in the Vine. My personal favorite chapter, and the one where I took away the most helpful information, came from the fifth chapter: Unity Comes Through Abiding in the Word. One suggestion was for each spouse to do their own Bible studies, reading and diving in where the Spirit is leading each person rather than tethering each other to the same passages. After all, even in our own marriage we may need different things at different times. The unity comes in with having a regular time to come together and read and compare the notes as a couple and see if there are any things that the other spouse might pick up on in those passages studied the previous week. I love this idea and, once I secure a journaling Bible for my wife, this is something I hope to put into practice in my own home.
Overall this was a fine book and a short read. Books on marriage have never really been something I’ve sought out to read because I feel I have a strong bond with my wife already. But for those who feel the need to strengthen that relationship to form a more unified bond, the information in this book can certainly prove helpful.
**Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There is a free ebook, Unshakeable (6 pgs), with material that will help and support growth in Christ, from the All for Jesus ministry: http://allforjesusunshakeable.gr8.com
About the author/ministry:
Before his current role in developing retreats and serving this ministry, All for Jesus, Richard Case worked for many years with Fortune 500 companies in management and consulting roles. He holds a BS in Management and Finance from Bradley University, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a seminary Masters degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Richard has been a featured speaker at conferences and seminars; he has hosted a radio show and is a published author. Richard and his wife, Linda, answered the call from the Lord to Abide in Him through the Spirit. Together, Richard and Linda have started up several churches that remain strong today, and have served as interim pastors of troubled churches, bringing reconciliation and new vision to these situations. Richard and Linda began conducting marriage retreats in 2001. Richard and Linda currently live in Castle Rock, CO.
Author David Wiley 