Another sign of this problem was that I couldn’t switch to code mode: it was always stuck on visual editor. After some heavy searching I found two fixes, one safer than the other.

Option 1: Not Very Safe

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE an .htaccess in your wp-admin/ directory:

create a text file on your desktop:

put the following inside it:

<IfModule mod_security.c>
SecFilterInheritance Off
</IfModule>

save the file.

Upload the file to your wp-admin directory.

Rename the uploaded file to .htaccess (with the .)

IF YOU DO HAVE an .htaccess in your wp-admin/ directory:

Edit it:

<IfModule mod_security.c>
SecFilterInheritance Off
</IfModule>

save the new .htaccess

Option 2: Much Safer and focused directly on the problem:

I went ahead and edited my .htaccess in my root directory and added this:

<Files index-extra.php>
SecFilterInheritance Off
</Files>

That fixed my problem. I didn’t want to turn off mod_security for the entire wp-admin folder, so this way just turns it off for index-extra.php file.

Technorati Tags: test tetsy

What?

God is the Remote Control and we are the televisions. He’s in control of everything we do.

Ah. But what about when you’re bad?

God is still the Remote Control.

But Sy, you’re responsible when you do bad. You are responsible. Laura, why am I having a conversation about divine sovereignty and human responsibility with my five year old?

I don’t know.

You know what happens when we’re bad?

What Sy?

God turns off the TV.

I’ll start with a (fake) example using my kids. I tell my oldest that he is not to touch anything in my office, that the desk is to remain pristine and that he shouldn’t be playing in there. I tell my daughter “No one goes here.” So my son tells my daughter to play in the office giving her toys and what not and even tells her what she should be doing. So she goes into the office, plays, throws glass and completely obliterates my office.

I get into my office and see the destruction and somehow I uncover the truth: my son told my daughter to do this and she up and went nuts with it. Question: who gets in trouble?

My son definitely gets in trouble for knowingly sending someone else to do something I hated. But my daughter will also get in trouble, not only because she went into my office but because she wreaked havoc in the office. Instead of asking me she took her big brother as the ultimate authority in doing stuff in a place I prohibited.

It would only be fair that they both get in trouble.

So, in the Genesis 2 and 3 story, who got in trouble? Well, Adam and Eve definitely got in trouble but we also see that the Serpent got in trouble. So much so that he’s promised a crushing defeat. So Adam and Eve got in trouble because they did wrong but probably not as much trouble as the Serpent did!

They judged Jesus worthy of murder after an illegal trial. They
traded Him for a terrorist. They put a rush order on His crucifixion so
that they could be clean in time for religious supper. Compounding
their error they honestly believed that their guilty hands were clean.

As to the letter of the Law, though, they could possibly be
seen as blameless. Remember, Paul who was a very zealous Jew, a
Pharisee of Pharisees, never missing synagogue on the Sabbath ({{Phil
3:5-6}})—was the same one who stood by holding coats while an innocent
man was stoned to death ({{Acts 7:58}}). You couldn’t bring a charge
against the man regarding his religion but according to Jesus’
clarification of the Law ({{Matt 5:48}}) he had much to answer for.

So surpassing the Pharisaic righteousness is getting past the
exterior adherence to righteousness. It is that actual perfect
righteousness that is in the Father—making it downright impossible.

Paul would unabashedly point to this surpassing righteousness
obviously beyond man’s ability. Before an enemy of God and now, on the
basis of faith, Paul was grateful that the righteousness from God would
let him know Christ—from death, to resurrection to fellowship in his
suffering and finally being conformed. Yet Paul acknowledged that he
hasn’t attained at that point. He wasn’t perfect but he pressed on
towards that goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus ({{Phil 3:10-14}}).

So this righteousness is an internal righteousness made
available by an external source, which is God by Christ through faith.
Not only that, it’s a perfect righteousness that will be complete in a
later date.

James furthers this thinking. It’s not that a Christian is to
throw up his hands and say, “I’m merely looking through a fuzzy
mirror—perfection is to come, so I give up.” Rather the Christian, like
Paul, must lay hold of that which Christ has made available and press
towards it. James would have us look at that perfection as a mature
uprightness consisting of constancy.

Note his emphasis: Let endurance have its perfect result so
that you may be perfect and complete ({{James 1:4}}); God gives perfect
gifts and this is put in contrast to the personal lusts which conceive
sin ({{James 1:15, 16}}); one is to look into the perfect law and
become a doer and not merely a hearer ({{James 1:23-26}}); perfected
faith produces works ({{James 2:22}}); a man who doesn’t stumble in
what he says is a perfect man able to bridle his body as well as his
mouth ({[James 3:2}}).

Now here’s the connection where the Pharisees would have
faltered at ({{James 1:26-27}}): if anyone thinks himself to be
religious and yet doesn’t bother bridling his tongue but deceives his
own heart—his religion is worthless.

Look at them, proud in their righteousness, cloaked in their
exterior religion thanking God that they’re not like this or that
sinner—is it possible for a believer to do the same? Apparently James
does since he launches into this bit right after discussing a person
who looks into a mirror and ignores what’s there before going merrily
on their way. James would have us understand that the perfect law of
liberty doesn’t merely reflect what we’re doing it reflects who we
are…so fix yourself up!

Take care with looking at Scriptures and saying “Oh, I need to
be more hospitable—better invite some people over” or “I’m to love my
brothers and sisters—better bake a cake.” Yes, we’re to be active but
we’re also to let that exposure by God’s word affect our hearts. If
not, it is frighteningly easy to settle into Pharisaic righteousness by
looking at all we’re doing and ignoring our secret attitudes that need
to be brought under subjection as well ({{2 Cor 10:5}}).

It’s too easy to be cloaked in religion and deceive ourselves.
Reading the Bible every day, inviting folk over, visiting the sick,
preaching every other Sunday or leading the women in devotions,
teaching the younger sisters, clothed modestly—all while envying that
brother’s preaching or that sister’s cooking or outright hating this
brother or that sister. Frighteningly easy to stand tall and tear up
your brother (or sister) because of some supposed Christian failing
while being driven by anger or self-seeking.

There was a certain Shechem, drawn away by his passions; he
forced Jacob’s daughter to lay with him. Feeling remorse, he spoke
gently to Dinah then asked his father to acquire her as a wife. Failing
to come up with some marriage gift to give the family he offered them
anything. Simeon and Levi devoutly told the young man and his father
that they would never give their sister to uncircumcised men. Only
people who submitted to their way of life, who were circumcised would
be allowed to marry their sister.

I can almost see Jacob in complete agreement and amazed at his
sons’ uprightness while excitedly explaining the meaning of
circumcision.

Shechem not only submitted to be circumcised but also spoke to
the local authorities to get the city to do the same. A city of
gentiles, seeing the benefit of being joined with Israel’s family,
agreed to take the symbol of their covenant.  And in that moment
of collective weakness, where all the men lay recovering from the
operation, Simeon and Levi entered into the city and slew all the men,
took back their sister, looted every house of wealth, woman and child.
When Israel saw them he cried out that they have made his name to stink
in the land ({{Gen 34}}).

Their response showed no remorse, but in their embraced anger
they stood and piously scorned the slain “Should he treat our sister
like a whore?”

James highlights many of these religious pitfalls. 
Holding an attitude (not action) of partiality while holding faith in
Jesus ({{Jas 2:1}}). Adhering to justification by faith while ignoring
perfecting action ({{Jas 2:14-26}}). Teaching without changing and
ignoring the burden of a greater judgment ({{Jas 3:1}}). Blessing God
while cursing men who are in the image of God ({{Jas 3:9}}). Friendship
with the world while a friend of God ({{Jas 4:4}}). Judging a brother
and the law while supposedly being a doer of the law ({{Jas 4:11}}).

Jesus exhorted that a person’s righteousness should surpass
that of the Pharisees not only in action, but also in
thought—impossible. Paul points that we will never be perfect until a
later day but we are to continue towards that mark—made possible by
God. James shows us the pitfalls and tells us how to get around
them—especially if we say we are of God.

-r-

Too often I’ve read Christians callously waving off death and
launching into an explanation of “repent, lest it also happens to you”
that strikes me as extremely cold when coming from a mere mortal. When
the Creator God, the one who upholds all things says something like
this, you can at least understand that He actually knows why—but us
stupid maggots, groping around in the dark speaking such profundity
comes off a bit snide, and in all honesty, mindless.

It doesn’t end there. I’ve heard others that adhere so closely
to God’s causality of every single event that they’ll take disaster and
slap a “We deserve no better” label on it. Or the other group that
ignores God’s knowledge to the point of saying something like “God
didn’t know this would happen…sorry”.

Katrina turned Louisiana into a Third World country and I
haven’t heard death toll projections. The Tsunami killed about 200,000
people with about that amount missing. 7,000 died in one shot in an
earthquake in Afghanistan some time ago. I remember seeing projected
figures of 100,000 deaths in Iraq post-invasion. Many silently die in
the Sudan away from media eyes. Before everyone’s eyes we saw
9/11/2001. Hundreds of thousands have died from poverty, negligence and
violence. Humans, regenerate and unregenerate alike, huddling together
constantly trying to help during these disasters while our own societal
allowances are allowed to stand. For even in a so-called civilized
society thousands upon thousands have silently died in our modern day
Molech’s Flame: the operating table of the allowed abortion.

Christian’s don’t close your eyes—stare and weep.

There is so much wrong happening in this world—both from natural
disasters and man-made violence—that the question must be asked: Why do
bad things happen? Why does God not stop it? If there is a God where is
He?

Oh, God is near, in fact, even here. He is not a distant God
but close and standing with His arms wide open welcoming people to come
to Him. These disasters and rampant violence are not so much God
smacking us to turn to Him—when He does that we’ll know it—this is
Man’s domain (Earth) turning against his master (Man).

As Man matured he gained responsibility and has repeatedly
failed at it. The work of Man’s hands is hard and poisoned—all the
result of Man’s failure. To look at our realm where We have been given
the responsibility and to turn to the Sovereign King and blame Him is
beyond unwarranted—it’s reckless.

Did God know this would happen? I don’t doubt it, not for a
second. Could God have stopped any of this? Of course. God could have
stepped in at any point in our history and put a stop to all of this,
taken away man’s lordship and forcefully implemented His rules. Indeed,
He could have stepped into the heart of man and ripped it out, wiping
out the usefulness of man and leaving him a mindless husk—stopping all
this horror in advance.

But why? Would that have been seen as a right solution? Go in
and rip out what makes a man a man? Or would it be better if God
stepped in each time we made a mistake to set things right without
letting us realize that we are weak without His strength? Neither.

God saw Man’s urgent need before he even knew it. God sent His
Son, as a man to proclaim a message of His authority and rule over
men—yet He was rejected. God incarnate, among men His creation,
rejected and finally crucified on a hill outside of a small city that
should have known better. God incarnate, the Owner and Creator of the
Cosmos, repulsed by His creation: “We don’t need you.”

But He was the only one who lived right. He was the only one
who didn’t stray from the righteous path. If there was ever a man who
could be judged before the eyes of God as being perfect it was Him…and
men killed Him as an enemy.

Weep Christians, weep! Weep for the sick and dying, weep for
the broken-hearted, weep for the lost, weep for the disasters and the
wars and the pain because this is not God pouring out wrath, this is
Man reveling in his authority on a cursed planet while denying his
Maker.

God overturned that decision against His Son and raised Him
from the grave, seating Him in a position of power on a heavenly
throne. This day, this very moment, a Man sits in Heaven who is God and
is waiting the time to implement a right Kingdom operated by a perfect
Man—Himself.

Why does He wait? Why not do it right now?

He’s giving Men a chance. A moment to turn away from their sin
and look to Him as their only possible hope and salvation for when He
returns it will be to set things right with a heavy hand and justice.
Currently the world moans and heaves, in pain from what’s wracking her
body while the cancer in our own fiber further drives us to the
insatiable need for violence. Yet He waits making every moment a chance
of repentance.

Weep Christians…but don’t remain silent. Preach the gospel and
preach it honestly! Realize the horror and realize the import of what
is going on all around. The Lord is coming back one day and that should
not minimize what is happening around us—rather it should energize us.

-r-

It felt close enough to link to Shane’s Case For Conviction.