Recommended Reading Home | Word | Contact Us

Are you interested in going even deeper? Proverbs 24:5b tells us, "a man of knowledge increases strength." In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul commends them for excelling in knowledge (2 Corinthians 8:7); 2 Peter 1:5 counsels us to add to our faith knowledge. Here at the ROC, we offer suggestions--recommended reading for your edification.  When possible, we've also included publishing information to aid you in locating the book.

 

Our recommended reading for this month:   Les Misérables   --Written by Victor Hugo; 1862   You won't get it watching the 1998 movie. You may get a taste of it listening to the musical (especially the international recording, which we also recommend). But to truly experience the power of Les Misérables, you must read the original classic. In these pages you'll find compelling characters, struggling with issues of Grace and Law. Learn why this classic has inspired generation after generation. A must-read for all Christians. It is not an easy read, but--certainly--a valuable one. Here's an excerpt:   Jean Valjean felt like a man who is just about to faint. The bishop approached him, and said, in a low voice: "Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man." Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of this promise, stood confounded. The bishop had laid much stress upon these words as he uttered them. He continued, solemnly: "Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!"   Did a voice whisper in his ear that he had just passed through the decisive hour of his destiny, that there was no longer a middle course for him? One thing was certain, that he was no longer the same man, that all was changed in him, that it was no longer in his power to prevent the bishop from having talked to him and having touched him. Jean Valjean wept long.