Being a lover of freedom, when the [Nazi] revolution came, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but no, the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks...

Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration for it because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual and moral freedom. I am forced to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly.

       First, get a Bible in good contemporary English. Comparing several English versions gives you a better idea of the meaning of a difficult passage.
       Two, a good Bible dictionary is like an encyclopedia of Bible themes and customs. Many things in the Bible are puzzling to us because many customs were different then. A good Bible dictionary can help a great deal.
       Three, a Bible with a good system of cross reference passages can lead you to other verses on the same subject that add helpful details.
       Four, a concordance or a searchable Bible program for your computer allow one to examine every passage that uses a concept word. Ask who, what, where, when, why, and how questions about the way the word is used in the Bible.
       Five, although most have not studied Greek or Hebrew (the languages of the original Bible texts), a concordance keyed to Strong's numbers can be a big help. James Strong gave each Greek and Hebrew word a numerical key. People with no biblical languages background can do effective word studies by comparing the words listed with the same Strong's number. A good free Bible software program keyed to Strong's numbers can be downloaded.
       Six, a first-hand familiarity gained from personal reading of the Bible is one of the best assets for Bible study.

       The women of Grace's Concordia Circle have a prayer chain network linked by telephone and e-mail to carry the needs of people before the throne of God.
      And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.       Revelation 5:8 (New International Version)

      "The Bible has been copied and translated so many times. How do we know the Bibles we have are anything like the original text?"
       Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948, the oldest copy of the Old Testament came from about the year 1000 AD. The Scrolls gave us a 1200 year jump back in copying history. The text from 1000 AD and the Scrolls were amazingly alike. The copyists had a quality control system that involved counting the characters in each line and marking the middle letter. Then they compared the older text with the copy to see if the mid-point mark was under the same letter.

       If a sermon is heard while viewing a condensed version of the sermon, more will be absorbed and retained. Years ago a short article in Pulpit Helps magazine told of a missionary in pre-Communist China who was preaching on a street corner. After he was finished, the crowd dissipated. One man stayed to inform the preacher he was a Communist and his group would never have let a group depart without giving them a piece of literature. He said the Communists realize the literature will have more effect on those who take it than what they heard during the spoken presentation. If you would like to receive Rev. Bohlken's sermon notes, send your e-mail address to amazinggrace@clearwire.net. They are based on one of the readings from the 3-year lectionary used by the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. He tries to have them ready on Friday for the Sunday bulletin.

       Grace's youth program is handled through two caring adults who work with them in a Sunday morning Bible class and through special events for youth from area Lutheran churches.

Bible Gateway allows anyone to read and study the Bible in several versions and in several languages while on-line.

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Home page    From this page you can get to a variety of resources, including a statement of beliefs, frequently asked questions, and a directory of congregations and professional church workers. By selecting a link there to the Lutheran Hour Ministries home page, one can sign up for daily devotions delivered to one's own computer. .

The Northwest District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod web page offers a variety of resources for congregations and individuals. Each section of the menu in the upper left portion of the screen opens to reveal a sub-menu. Each sub-menu offers links to various helpful resources. In case you want a free Bible for your handheld or need to order antique square nails for distribution at Lenten services, pull down the sub-menu under "President's Office" and go to "Suggested Links."   

Lutheran Camp Perkins   is a ministry of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod congregations in South Idaho. Camp Perkins is located in the Sawtooth Mountains between Stanley and Ketchum, Idaho on Perkins Lake. Turn off of State Hwy. 75 just a couple of miles north of the community of Smiley Creek. Watch for the brown and white sign to Alturus Lake. Camp Perkins offers seven day summer camping and Christian growth experiences for children of all ages. The Camp is also available for retreats of all kinds during the off season.

Christian Ministries on-line    This is a list of 180 or more Christian ministries of various kinds, including Answers In Genesis, which presents scientific evidence for a special creation of the universe. This is a story not often given space in the popular media. Links are included to other creation sites.

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The Bible as History by Werner Keller    This is an interesting examination of many Bible events that explains a lot of the history and customs behind the events, and what we can know about them through archeology. Keller was a Jew, and yet offers surprising support for New Testament Christianity in places. It is a tribute to the quality of this book that it is still being published almost fifty years after it first appeared.

Modern Fascism by Gene Edward Vieth (CPH)    Vieth shows that a belief in Darwinian evolution was one of three main bases for Hitler's Fascism. Many of the forces that drove the National Socialists of sixty years ago are again exerting an influence, this time on our society in political correctness, in the abortion debate (by those who favor abortion), and in the use of media to move minds without thoughtful reflection.

History of Theology by Bengt Hagglund    The author's work is translated from Swedish. Sometimes we are puzzled by the many different strains of Christianity. Hagglund's discussion of history and theology often shows how different interpretations arose, frequently through mixing the thoughts of human philosophers with the Bible's teachings.

Creation's Tiny Mystery by Robert Gentry    The author has a PhD in physics. He studies pleochloric (many-colored) or radio halos found in certain types of granite. The radioactive material from which these halos came has a half-life of about three minutes. In fifteen minutes all traces of them would be gone. The granite in which they are formed had to form within minutes to trap them. Evolutionary theory holds this granite cooled from hot gases over eons of time. Gentry also provides much data about the strong resistance he found to any different data or ideas that might threaten the place of evolution in science.

The Menace of Multiculturalism: Trojan Horse in America by Dr. Alvin Schmidt (Praeger Press)    Tolerance of others who are different is one thing, but multiculturalism is an intolerance of perceived intolerance, which is still intolerance. Multiculturalism is particularly intolerant of Christianity. Schmidt shows from the experience of those who have lived under it that multiculturalism actually promotes what it purports to cure. It is a book worth reading for anyone who is concerned about the future of our nation.

Christianity under Trial: Arguments against Anti-Christian Bigotry by Vincent Carroll and David Shiflett (Encounter Books)    We often hear the church and Christianity accused of being the cause of countless ills from intolerance to slavery to wars to the Holocaust. Carroll and Shiflett marshall countless historical facts to show how the church actually brought many of the improvements in civilization that we take for granted. They also show that these accusations are based on distortions and falsehoods.

Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel from the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft in Stuttgart, Germany    This is a great study Bible for anyone who teaches and preaches. It is available in German only. But, in half a dozen lines from the study notes one will find two or three preachable ideas not usually found elsewhere. It has a wonderful way of helping the user see connections between things not before thought to be connected.

Personal digital audio players are commonly used by people of all ages during exercise, travel, work, and relaxation. Many would like to listen to an audio Bible on their players. The World English Bible (WEB) is available in MP3 format audio files free of copyright and free of charge for use on your digital player. We will gladly send you a free copy to any address in the USA. Send an e-mail to: amazinggrace@clearwire.net or write to us at Grace Lutheran Church, 2700 S. Kimball Ave., Caldwell, ID 83605.

You may wonder what the World English Bible is. It is a slightly revised edition of the 1901 Authorized Version. The words have a good flow. Its English sounds contemporary and is still quite accurate. It is not a paraphrase. It does use “Yahweh” as the proper name of God given in Exodus 3:14. Most English Bibles use LORD, instead. The preface of your Bible or your Bible dictionary may explain how using LORD where the text is actually “Yahweh” goes back to a Jewish avoidance of the divine name lest it be misused.

This audio Bible fits on two CDs. The files may be loaded onto your computer or onto a digital player.

Think of this audio Bible as a mission tool. While you might find it convenient to have an audio Bible for your personal use, imagine giving copies to people who will give copies to still more people. Younger people especially are likely to listen to rather than read the Bible. Younger people in the USA are also among the most unchurched and de-churched population groups in our society. Carry a couple of copies of these discs with you when you travel and see how many you can give away. The Bible CDs you distribute could reach untold numbers of people around the world.

The first disc contains Genesis – Song of Solomon. The second disc contains Isaiah – Revelation. Also on the second disc is the full text of the WEB for reading or printing. Also included is source documentation that establishes the copyright status of both the audio files and the text of the WEB.

Solution to a Problem--We had a Schulmerich electro-mechanical clock for ringing the hour on our church bell. After eighteen years it quit. Factory repairs would be expensive and not guaranteed. A member who works with this sort of thing programmed a Siemens Programmable Logic Controller with a seven day routine. It cost less than half of the factory repairs and will continue to work flawlessly far into the future. It also takes far less physical space. If you have a need to replace an electro-mechanical ringer, contact us. We even added a circuit that cancels the bell when the telephone is in use in the office.