tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292179082011-04-21T17:40:51.009-04:00Diverse Ramblings: A place for Brian to think out loudBrian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1163006031802153522006-11-08T12:11:00.000-05:002006-11-08T12:13:51.813-05:00

I have things mostly set up. I may continue to tinker but I can't/don't want to spend much more time messing with it. It is up and running. Please update your bookmarks and links if you have one to my blog.www.bpnblog.theobloggers.org

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1162911637084957892006-11-07T09:58:00.000-05:002006-11-07T10:36:29.476-05:00

...my blog, that is. Ha-ha! Scared you.My new blog on theobloggers.org will be up and running soon. After I get settled in my new place and straighten things up, I will provide a link so you can come on over and check it out (and update your link to my site, if you have one).I will at some point transfer most of my posts from here to the new place.

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1162821890991672842006-11-06T08:58:00.000-05:002006-11-06T11:51:43.120-05:00

Whether you vote or not tomorrow, I hope you pray (and consider fasting) for whomever wins.If you don't know what to pray for concerning our leaders, Paul says it to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:2, "for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.""Hot Topics! Get your hot topics right heeyah!"Death Penalty: I hope no Christians are

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1162583987505081332006-11-03T14:53:00.000-05:002006-11-03T15:00:27.643-05:00

I want to take an interlude from politics (or maybe I am finished with it) to offer some readings. Thanks to my Sister who recently reminded me to read Psalm 27, I got to thinking about this."One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27:4"My heart

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1162512444498582682006-11-02T19:06:00.000-05:002006-11-02T19:16:46.330-05:00

I am Brian and I approve of this post...This is where I will really confuse you, or at least sound confused. I am stuck in the middle, and won’t come down from the fence. I realize it is very non-political to refuse to choose one of the nicely organized sides but I don’t agree with either one. When it comes to war…I am neither for it nor against it. On second thought, I could probably win a

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1162322781880957862006-10-31T14:25:00.000-05:002006-11-01T18:24:16.690-05:00

"I didn't vote for Him/Her."So what? God says to honor, submit to, and respect the government and government leaders/officials. The attitude behind that bumper sticker seems to be disrespect and rebellion. Do you think the first Christians really supported the political views of Caesar? Whether it was Nero or not, when Paul and Peter wrote about this issue, they said, "honor, submit, respect.

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1162258781757854922006-10-30T20:37:00.000-05:002006-10-31T12:06:34.480-05:00

Signs are popping up everywhere. I removed three from the church yard recently. I didn't want to get in trouble for "supporting" one candidate and lose our tax-exempt status. Of course, the cars driving by probably assumed we like the other guy since I was removing signs.Some signs make me laugh. I didn't realize at first that one sign actually had two last names on it. I almost wanted to vote

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1161892074771235522006-10-26T15:45:00.000-04:002006-10-27T08:28:20.646-04:00

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1161766189017797542006-10-25T04:47:00.000-04:002006-10-26T09:34:14.873-04:00

Our little girl is 1 today!

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1161192859167556282006-10-18T13:24:00.000-04:002006-10-23T23:31:23.536-04:00

All is vanity! Vanity of Vanities! After travelling to and fro in the blogosphere, I see a great need for reform and revival. Any great movement will eventually become staid and empty. Therefore, there is a great need for a Blog-Prophet to preach repentance unto good blogging. I AM THAT Blog-Prophet!!Thou shalt no longer post inane and meaningless comments on someone's blog for the sole

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1161045509093577272006-10-16T20:36:00.000-04:002006-10-17T13:09:41.376-04:00

I recently discovered this website dedicated to Christian Humor. They linked to me so they must have good taste. Actually, they didn't even ask, but I have enjoyed the site so I guess I will forgive.The JORJ: Journal of Religious JocularityI will add the link to the ones on the right as well.

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1160671077780281052006-10-12T12:31:00.000-04:002006-10-12T12:46:16.770-04:00

We had a great weekend October 6-8! John Clayton was here and spoke numerous times for us. On Friday and Saturday evenings we rented a local middle school and he spoke on God's existence, the nature of God, and Christianity compared to other religions. Saturday morning, he spoke at our building for a Sunday School Workshop. He spoke three times for us on Sunday: on the church, his personal

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1160450934865371082006-10-09T23:16:00.000-04:002006-10-12T22:30:10.256-04:00

In honor of all those who like to make the Bible say things it doesn't really say, here are some excerpts from a New Translation (with comparison to NIV):John 4:24NIV--"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth."New Translation--"Worshippers must worship in the way I think is acceptable."1 Corinthians 14:40NIV--"But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1159885802491102772006-10-03T10:28:00.000-04:002006-10-03T15:05:05.600-04:00

I must confess that I have watched most of the “Dateline: To Catch a Predator” shows that have been on recently. It has the quality of a natural disaster or train wreck: it is very difficult to look away, while being repulsed at the same time.It definitely makes us aware that we live in a sick and fallen world full of sick and fallen people who have allowed Satan control of their lives and who

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1159832453393441612006-10-02T19:23:00.000-04:002006-10-03T10:34:24.840-04:00

I went to a different post office today. The workers in our town seem pretty unhappy to be there. I am sure they are nice people if you know them outside of work but I would love to have a Cliff Claven there to liven things up. Or even if they were just drinking beer, that might make things more interesting, instead of the funeral home atmosphere. Today, I went to one just as close to our home,

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1159192792382578352006-09-25T09:55:00.000-04:002006-10-05T18:08:02.060-04:00

Are you a real Christian? Do you really know about the church? Test your knowledge with these 5 questions! Answers found below.A missionary's worst enemy is: a) Satan b) The natives c) Governmental bureaucracy d) A church parking lot in America that needs to be pavedThe Minister’s day off is generally: a) Monday b) Like any other day except he dresses more casually c) Spent mowing,

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1158970005179496162006-09-22T19:57:00.000-04:002006-09-22T20:11:09.790-04:00

Here are some tidbits from my latest reading assignment. Peter Kreeft is the author."Solitude, the thing which ancient sages longed for as the greatest gift, is the very thing we give to our most desperate criminals as the greatest punishment we can imagine.""...our faith is often a largely intellectual thing. We talk a good game of God, but really God makes a pretty unspectacular and non-total

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1158691548798255702006-09-19T14:35:00.000-04:002006-09-21T15:48:11.303-04:00

This book has been around for 10 years and I am just now finding out about it! It's a great book, so of course, it has a great subtitle:"The Dangerous Illusion of a Manageable Deity". The author is Donald W. McCullough. Click here to buy or find out more.He talks about the false gods we have such as: god of my cause, god of my understanding, god of my experience, god of my comfort, god of my

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1158201779963824222006-09-13T22:39:00.000-04:002006-09-13T22:47:23.596-04:00

Check out this article about the differences in East and West. Very informative. He suggests that the basic tension between Eastern and Western culture is not Religious or political as much as it is societal. The differences he points out existed in the days of Alexander the Great, before Islam or Christianity or Democracy.http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2384603&page=1Here is an

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1157982050971178332006-09-11T09:32:00.000-04:002006-09-12T17:41:00.543-04:00

Early weeks in the NFL (National Football League) are so misleading. One team pulverizes or shuts out another, we assume the winner is a powerhouse. Until, of course, we realize that the losing team we thought was so good, is actually over-rated and begins to lose more and more and play poorly each week. And the team that looked so strong was just beating up on over-rated, weak competition.Is

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1157490184255795032006-09-05T16:54:00.000-04:002006-09-05T17:03:04.293-04:00

Here are a couple of excerpts from Bruce Ware's book on the Trinity:"Here in the Trinity....we see hierarchy without hubris, authority with no oppression, submission that is not servile, and love that pervades every aspect of the divine life. Unity and diversity, identity and distinction, sameness and difference, melody and harmony--these are qualities that mark the rich texture of the life of

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1156099777903352622006-08-20T14:46:00.000-04:002006-08-20T15:28:51.220-04:00

My reading of ficition and non-religious materials has dwindled in recent years despite my English degree and love of reading. I have read three books,though, in the last year that were fascinating. If you like to ask, "why?" or like behavioral sciences (why people do the things they do) you will enjoy these books. While it is possible to get lost at times in any of the three books, they are

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1155689469684589272006-08-15T20:40:00.000-04:002006-08-19T20:51:46.930-04:00

Marisa and I left the kids with Granna and went to a matinee. Not sure what to say. I am glad I saw it. Take kleenex if you go. I guess a couple of things stand out about the film.Two characters were people of faith. One of the two rescued was/is a devout Catholic. He has a vision of Jesus while trapped. I saw an interview with the real man recently and he talked about his faith. Another person/

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1155229286031446762006-08-10T12:48:00.000-04:002006-08-10T13:06:39.836-04:00

Nobody likes a critic unless it is a movie critic. But as soon as someone points out flaws in my life, I am likely to get edgy and defensive. The following links are critical of churches of Christ, even referring to us as a denomination and/or cult. Don't get defensive. Don't jump to pat responses and cliches. Consider what they say. Some of the sites have a gentler tone and kinder perspective

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1155048364646702922006-08-08T10:40:00.000-04:002006-08-08T11:15:18.106-04:00

Here is an excerpt from the introduction to a series of blogs on the Bible. I italicized an important and fascinating sentence.So, what can I possibly do? My goal is pretty simple. I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based. I think I'm in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1154407117866258782006-08-01T00:28:00.000-04:002006-10-03T22:47:41.876-04:00

I love the etymology of words. I love the creativity of the English language. Anyway, maybe I have already blogged this so I will move on to three thoughts about words.I don't like the word "inextricably". First of all, it is a show-off, ten-cent word. Secondly, and more annoying, is that it only seems to be used in front of the word "linked". Have you used the word? Hopefully not. Have you ever

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1154015083284721392006-07-27T11:39:00.000-04:002006-07-29T11:48:41.970-04:00

I have to confess. I don’t understand it. Someone please explain it to me. Where does the obsession with the word “vision” come from? I feel like I have missed the boat. And please don’t use Proverbs 29:18, which is misleading in some translations. Without using that verse, what is our Biblical argument for the necessity of “vision” in church leadership, as defined in the business/secular world?

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1152284182229471312006-07-07T10:52:00.000-04:002006-07-08T00:27:53.790-04:00

Thanks for your prayers on behalf of my brother-in-law. He should come home today from the hospital. I am leaving for Camp Manatawny today and will be a Bible Teacher this week and am looking forward to having a great time. I appreciate your prayers for the staff and campers.Here is a thought to chew on this week:Once upon a time there was a church that didn’t have the name, “Church of Christ” on

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1151947991868776322006-07-03T13:29:00.000-04:002006-07-03T13:36:45.516-04:00

I am not a big Al Gore fan although I may see his documentary about global warming some day. (And the fact that Christians seem to relegate environmental issues to politics is a topic for another blog another day.) But his title is great, "An Inconvenient Truth".Jesus, also, is an inconvenient truth. God is an inconvenient truth. Because they are real and true, life can't go on as it always has.

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1151520140329710162006-06-28T14:26:00.000-04:002006-07-08T00:33:43.033-04:00

I love words and their history and origin and I like studying foreign languages. Because of this, I am really interested in Bible translation. I find it fascinating why some translations/scholars use one word and others don't.One example that I just learned today is the word, "Calvary." What an important word because it is such an important place! How many hymns do we sing with "Calvary" in the

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1151192333523156492006-06-24T19:36:00.000-04:002006-06-28T13:34:59.760-04:00

I love the name Torsten Frings. He plays for Germany. I like saying it. It sounds like a type of snack you would buy to watch the game. "I bought some soda and Torsten Frings. Would you like the BBQ Torsten Frings or Ranch flavored Torsten Frings?"Here is a link to the World Cup of Hair. There does seem to be a high percentage of wierd hair-dos among soccer players. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1150816607989761842006-06-20T11:05:00.000-04:002006-06-20T12:02:12.200-04:00

John Piper is one of my favorite authors and I just started reading his book, "A Hunger for God." Fasting is counter-culture, neglected, and looked down upon and I am talking about in the Christian community. I would definitely recommend anything by Piper and I recommened this book even though I have only read the introduction.Here are some quotes from the introduction to make you think and pique

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1149777581666067232006-06-08T10:28:00.000-04:002006-06-18T00:05:39.960-04:00

We pray often for the persectued brethren in China or Africa and we should. They are having an awful time.They might be struggling with lots of joy (Acts 5:41).They are developing perseverance, character, and hope (Rom 5:1-5).They have an inheritance that they are gaining (Rom 8:17).Gee, we are so blessed to have nice houses and cars. We get to assemble without "hurt, harm, or danger." We get to

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1149444519824159882006-06-04T13:49:00.000-04:002006-06-05T16:55:51.326-04:00

I have completed 30 years of life on this earth. Wow! I thought it might seem weird but so far I don't foresee any nervous breakdowns or midlife crises, or a third-of-life crisis. Yesterday, two sweet ladies from church took Marisa and I out for brunch. Today was a normal day of worship. I preached on the OT prophecies about Jesus as reasons to believe in Him. Tonight, we will have our monthly

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29217908.post-1149372627451320132006-06-03T17:58:00.000-04:002006-06-05T16:53:05.843-04:00

I played soccer for two or three years while in elementary school. It was fun, I guess. We took a trip once to St. Louis to play in a tournament. We weren't good but for some reason we drove 3 hours to play in a tournament. I mainly remember my mother complaining to a parent who only brought water for us at half-time instead of Gatorade like everyone else had done. I really liked the Gatorade. I

Brian Nicklaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05324768725510273051noreply@blogger.com0