Bleu Rhino Ravings

I’m really praying that Al Gore runs for president again in 2008. I hate that the Democrats are so ridiculous and that, yet again, the media is in control of the Democrat’s nomination process. In a recent poll, only 62% of Americans said they would vote for a woman President and 64% said they would vote for a Black one . . . and both sociologists and political scientists have shown consistently that people are more politically correct in polls than in voting booths by about 10%. That means almost half of the people in this country don’t think a black or woman can be president of the country.

Even if he runs for President (which I doubt), a two year black liberal senator from a northern state who has no real experience with foreign relations IS NOT GOING TO BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT! He is NOT Colin Powell. He is NOT Condoleeza Rice. I’m tired of hearing people use Colin’s name to suggest Obama could be a contender. Maybe he is like Colin Powell but in this way . . . Powell strung us along JUST LIKE THIS to sell a book. Maybe he just wants the second space slot? If this is really about trying to be Vice President, Hillary Rodham is not stupid. She isn’t going to pick a Black (they already have our vote) liberal (his record is more liberal than hers in spite of how the Repubs want to spin her) from her blue northern HOMEstate (the place that is most notable for giving us two other wildly successful black Presidential candidates: Jesse Jackson and Carol Mosely-Braun) as her running mate. People act like, with all of his talents, Obama won his Senate seat in a landslide against another popular Illinois politician. If Jack Ryan (the pre-Keyes Republican competition) wasn’t another hypocritical Republican, wasn’t getting a divorce from a TV star, and wasn’t replaced by the most ludicrous choice of a candidate ever . . . Obama either wouldn’t be Senator or wouldn’t have won by 70% and be the superstar he is today. And as some of you already heard me say, wait until people down here where I live realize what Obama’s middle name is (Hussein) and start joking about how they’re not going to vote for “Ba-l-ack Hussein O-s-ama”. So, I’m quite fed up with Obama-Rama because it uses up too much of the very limited political oxygen we have between now and the 2008 election season.

Hillary has the same problem. She’s not going to be President unless every Democrat and lots of female independentsvote against John McCain . . and that ain’t gonna happen. America isn’t ready to elect a woman as our President . . . only 14% of the US Senate is female, only 14% of all Boards of Directors members are female, only 20% of college presidents are female. America’s not rushing to promote women to leadership positions. And Hillary is NOT just any white woman. She’s carries the baggage of being Mrs. Bill Clinton. She’s loathed by Republicans for whatever reasons they don’t like her. She’s more conservative than some Democrats (and actors like Rush Limbaugh) want to pretend she is . . and Cucinich and others will point all of that out during the primaries . . . TRUST ME! And if evangelical/southern/conservative America can’t vote for Giuliani because he’s pro-choice or Romney because he’s a Mormon, what makes anyone think they’re going to cross over to vote for, from their perspective, someone who is the incarnation of Satan in female form? Yes, Hillary could run this country. Yes, Hillary has the experience and ability to wage a competitive candidacy for the Democratic nomination. But in the end? She’s NOT going to be the next President. Sorry.

And yet . . . the “liberal” media is raising both of their stocks; this has real ramifications. Evan Bayh . . a young, handsome, second term senator, former two term CONSERVATIVE governor, who ALSO has given a keynote address at a Democratic presidential convention (Bill Clinton’s 1996 one) dropped out most likely because people are giving all of their money to Obama’s silly and maybe even fake run for the Presidency. Are the Dems ever going to learn? Yea, I’m glad that America has gotten to a point where a white woman or a black man could be a serious candidate for President. But while America is ready to think about it, they are NOT ready to vote for either one. If nothing else, we should be a little worried that people on Fox News are excited about Obama’s candidacy. I hate that this current media Hillary/Obama coronation process might mean we won’t have another Bill Clinton (I REALLY can’t believe I said that!) rise up and beat McCain or Brownback. Remember, both Dean and Kerry were the media’s candidates. Aren’t we a little glad they didn’t win the primary or the election?

Please, Democrats, don’t let the “liberal” media choose your next presidential nominee for you.

Wondering if Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are thinking (behind closed doors . . . for now): “Those secular demon-possessed Democrats thought they had the final say on who will govern Gawd’s United States . . . . think that they can elect baby killers and fag lovers to run the Senate? But Gawd is still in control. He gave Tim Johnson a stroke so that the Senate stays in the hands of Gawd’s chosen people, The Republicans, so that Gawd’s man, George Bush, can continue to pursue Gawd’s agenda for this country”.

Come on . . you know you were thinking it.

So, I went to Sunday School today and the main questions the teacher asked were . . . . “Why are so few Christians filled with the Holy Spirit” and “How do you get filled with the Holy Spirit”.  There was a lot of wishy-washyness in our definition of “filled”.  The book kept pointing to Scriptures that suggest the secret to being filled is “asking the Holy Spirit to fill you, believe that He will, and . . . BOOM . . . you’re filled.”.  So, at the end of the day, how many Christians don’t believe that they are filled with the Holy Spirit?  I’m just not inclined to believe that Christians who understand such a thing actually don’t believe that they’re filled, particularly if it is true that when we get saved, we’re “filled” (which is what Bill Bright said!) and if (daily?) asking and believing is the access point.  BUT, I’m not sure we are talking about “being filled” which is waaaaay too abstract a concept.  It’s more deep religious talk that doesn’t really have the clear “candle aroma filling your house” answer that Ken was trying to suggest.

The “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit is different from the “filling” of the Holy Spirit apparently.

What “ask questions” says: [Being indwelled by the Spirit] is in contrast to the filling of the Spirit command found in Ephesians 5:18 (Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.). We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully, and in that sense, fill us. Romans 8:9 and Ephesians 1:13-14 state that He dwells within every believer, but He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and His activity within us can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19). When we allow this to happen, we do not experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s working and power in and through us. To be filled with the Spirit implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. His power then can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God. The filling of the Spirit does not apply to outward acts alone; it also applies to the innermost thoughts and motives of our actions.

The disciples were “filled” (pletho . . . controlled by an external force?) with the Spirit in Acts 2:4 when they spoke in tongues.
Paul spoke boldly to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:8 because he was “filled” with the Spirit.
The disciples, again, were “filled” with the Holy Spirit and, as a result they spoke the Word of God with boldness.
Paul, after Ananias’ prayer, was “filled” with the Holy Spirit and it empowered him to preach in the synagogues in Acts 9:17-20
In an odd use of the infilling, a “filled” Paul caused a sorcerer to go blind in Acts 13:9-12.

How odd is it that we make the “pleroo” version of the infilling of the Holy Spirit (used in Ephesians 5:18) be about control when the definition of it is “empowered” too?  Pleroo also means fulfilled, completed, and empowered . . . but because of the proximity to the alcohol thing, people use it to mean controlled ONLY.  Now, of course, I could CERTAINLY see this as meaning something other than controlled.  In fact, everywhere I look “to be controlled by” is the LAST definition.  All of the definitions refer to being completed and empowered by.  Is there a real difference between being empowered by something (fear, anger, rage, the Holy Spirit) and controlled by something (fear, anger, rage, the Holy Spirit).  In a very real way, I can understand the former better than the latter.

Ok, this is totally exciting.  The Holy Spirit didn’t come to control us . . . He came to EMPOWER US!