The Fire Burning Within

I apologize for my last post. I went back and reread it and I did not word clearly what I was trying to say. I normally do not blog on Sunday, but This morning I woke up and was reminded that I something inside of me that many people have lost or haven't received. 

Jeremiah is one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. At times, this honorable seer is referred to as the “weeping prophet,” because of the heartfelt messages he proclaimed. “And if I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot contain” (Jer. 20:9). These words were uttered in a time of great turmoil and ridicule as a result of Jeremiah’s preaching. The Seer informs us that he was trying to keep God’s word to himself to ease his woes, but found that the woes within him only increased. Jeremiah could not help but proclaim God’s word because of the fire burning within him. God’s word in Jeremiah was like a fire burning in a wooden box – it just wouldn’t stay in.

Nearly seven hundred years later, Peter and John were preaching the word of God and the priests and Sadducees became very angry at the apostle’s teaching. As a result, Peter and John were thrown into prison, and on the following day were threatened and told not to preach any more in the name of Christ. “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). These courageous apostles informed those who had threatened them that God’s word was burning within them and they could not be kept from proclaiming the blessed Gospel.

Jeremiah, Peter and John all had something we need a little more of – a FIRE BURNING WITHIN! There are too many Christians who no longer have, or who have never had a fire burning within. Too many are allowing “any little old thing” to keep them from spreading the good news of the Gospel and opposing that which is contrary to truth. Paul fearlessly declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation…” (Rom. 1:16). In light of this great power, should not the fire of God’s word be burning within us?

The reason men like Jeremiah had the fire burning within them was that they knew of the seriousness of making known the saving message of God in its purity. Proclaiming God’s word is serious business for “for all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), sin separates man from God (Isa. 59:1-2), and “wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Sin comes as a result of disobeying God’s word (1 Jn. 3:4). Thus, as along a man stays in ignorance of God’s word he is without hope.

Jeremiah had a fire burning within because he cared for the lost souls of men – he cared about their eternal destiny. How concerned are we about the lost souls of men? Do we hurt knowing that millions are dying without the Gospel? Are we going to sit idly while our friends and loved ones die in sin, or will we have the fire burning within? James wrote, “that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins” (Jam. 5:20). How much do you care for the lost?

Where Should We Stand on the Issue of Fellowship?

The Bible doctrine of fellowship is a difficult subject for many because of the strong emotions involved in personal relationships. No one wants to withdraw fellowship from anyone, especially their friends and family. Yet the Bible teaches clearly in such passages as Matthew 18, 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Thessalonians 3, and Romans 16:17 that sometimes we must. The Bible also teaches that failure to withdraw fellowship appropriately is equally offensive to God (2 Thessalonians 3:14). Such underscores the seriousness God has regarding the command.

Practicing this command is not easy to do either spiritually or emotionally. Because of this, some simply will not do what God desires: they will not withdraw fellowship when God’s word demands it. This kind of thinking places our love for men above our love for God and His word. These individuals need to be reminded that God comes first in our affections (Matthew 6:33, 22:37-38). We love God by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:2-3). Can we both love God and fellowship those who have left the faith? We cannot.

In contrast to the above attitude, there are those who abuse church discipline. These want to withdraw fellowship upon the slightest of indiscretions. To compound their error, they hold faithful brethren, who in patience and love continue to work with these individuals, in equal contempt. This view of fellowship is based upon the erroneous conclusion from 2 John 10-11that mere personal appearances with certain people are enough to withdraw. In contrast, 2 John 10-11 teaches that we ought not to give aid and comfort to deliberate false teachers. If we do such, with support and encouragement, obviously we partake of their evil deeds.

2 John 10-11 does not suggest, however, that fellowship ought to be recursively withdrawn from anyone appearing with someone who is in error. Such a position would imply that faithful brethren would need to withdraw fellowship from themselves as there is always someone with whom we are in fellowship, who fellowships someone who fellowships someone (etc.) who is not in fellowship. Any doctrine of fellowship that implies that a faithful Christian need withdraw fellowship from himself is a false doctrine of fellowship! On the other hand, we have those who say there are no boundaries of fellowship at all. “We can fellowship everyone regardless of who they are or what they believe.” Such is an equally repugnant and unbiblical position to hold.

How ought we to practice the Bible doctrine of fellowship? We ought, on a case by case basis, to judge according to righteous judgment and not according to appearance (John 7:24). We ought to accept each individuals person without partiality (1 Timothy 5:21, James 3:17) until such a point in time as they prove to us individually that they have left the faith (1 Timothy 1:19-20). Such proof may take the form of their public writings, speaking, or other actions. If their actions are private, we are obliged to follow the procedures set forth in Matthew 18:15-20 until such a time as it becomes public. We have no precedent, however, to withdraw from someone other than dealing with their actions individually and personally. Nevertheless, when such has been proven that they have left the faith, we must withdraw.

Such a view of withdrawal is biblical, balanced, loving, and consistent with the Bible’s complete teaching on the doctrine of fellowship. It thus seeks to love God first in obeying His commands, and also our fellow man in respecting his personal situation without judging inappropriately. Practicing the Bible’s teaching regarding fellowship is not easy one way or the other. Let us not, however, seek to make it easy by either not practicing it at all, or by throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater and not having fellowship with anyone but our own clique. Instead, let us seek to judge each individual fairly, on a case by case basis, without resorting to a cliquish or devilish mentality.

My Broken TV

A long time ago I bought a VHS/TV combo. Today I've pretty much converted to DVD, So I gave that TV to my mother. About a 4 month ago this TV started doing something really strange. She would turn it on and then, after about five seconds, it would turn itself off or the picture would go. The rest of the TV seems to be working OK. The reception is good and changing channels and etc. However, it simply refuses to stay on! So, it is useless to her as it sits in her living room waiting for her to decide whether she wants to get it fixed or not.

I’ve been thinking about that television and how some Christians have the same problem. Consider that there are some Christians who turn on for a short period of time, but then they quickly turn off again until someone else comes along and pushes their button. I’m thinking about those Christians who may attend services only once in a while, get all fired up, and then go right back into a worldly pattern of living. Perhaps we can learn a few lessons from mothers on again/off again television.

First, it is extremely difficult to watch a television when it turns off every five seconds. Consider the difficulty for unbelievers to observe the pure Christian life in the on again/off again Christian. Unbelievers watch Christians and evaluate our behavior based upon our own standards of right and wrong. If I’m an on again/off again Christian, my behavior isn’t going to be consistent with those standards. My speech won’t be pure; my lifestyle may not be pure; perhaps my marriage will be on the rocks. People will see me as a hypocrite and not a true Christian. Christians must live as Christians. Paul says we walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and that faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). We must know God’s word and live by it in order to live the life of faith so that we won’t be an on again/off again Christian.

Second, just as her television is in obvious need of repair, so is the on again/off again Christian. How does this Christian repair his life? He repents! Paul told all of those who he taught both Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and do works worthy of repentance (Acts 26:20). Peter told Simon the sorcerer to repent when he sinned against God and pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:22). Simon then asked Peter to pray for him. On again/off again Christians need to have this attitude as well. We can be forgiven of our sins if we ask. God is willing to forgive, if we repent (2 Peter 3:9) and He will forgive up to seventy times seven in one day if our repentance is from the heart (Matthew 18:22). This is great incentive to live like a Christian every day.

Third, just as her on again/off again television is useless to her, so also, the on again/off again Christian is useless to Jesus. If he fails to repent he’ll be like the Laodiceans inRevelation 3:16. Jesus said because they were lukewarm, he would spew them out of his mouth and “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” ( Luke 9:62). Jesus’ message in Matthew 25 is that the on again/off again Christian will find himself with the unfaithful in the final judgment.

We have resolved what to do with her television and heres something for you all. Let’s resolve not to be on again/off again Christians. When God pushes our button to “on” he expects it to stay on and not to give up. If we turn off, let’s repent and turn back on quickly. We don’t want to disappoint Him.

The Muddy Waters of the Emerging Church

Emerging Church Movement and Absolute Truth

In August of 1997 a friend of mine and his wife visited Vicksburg, Mississippi on their honeymoon. One sight they could not miss was the Mississippi River. The United States Geological Service estimates that approximately 373 billion gallons of water flow by Vicksburg every day. That water comes from the thousands of lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks that flow into it creating the river’s distinctively muddy character.

Christians today live in a world that, not unlike the muddy Mississippi, is influenced by multiple streams of ideas, thoughts, and philosophies. This period has been characterized as postmodern because of its anti-rational thinking and its complete acceptance of any and all ideas regardless of how ridiculous they may seem. This is illustrated for us in the chorus of a Charlie Daniels’ song entitled, “Muddy Mississippi.” “Everybody is alright / Ain’t nobody uptight / Dancing in the moonlight / Muddy Mississippi roll on.”

It should not surprise us that some are placing a special emphasis upon taking the gospel to the postmodern world. This effort is known as the “Emerging Church.” It is a pan-denominational effort to engage the postmodern world around us with the gospel, but with a subtle twist. The “Emerging Church” wants to do this with the acceptance of postmodern presuppositions.

“Emerging Church” adherents do not believe that we ought to characterize the message of the gospel as either true or false. This, they claim, buys into a failed system of knowledge. Instead, they seek to engage the postmodern culture “non-confrontationally.” This entails that we simply sit down to have a “conversation” about things; no one is right or wrong; no one is exhorted to give up false doctrine and embrace truth. All ideas and philosophies are equally legitimized and somehow the postmodern culture is evangelized.

It reminds me of the 1990 movie “Pretty Woman,” in which a rich businessman hires a prostitute to act as his escort. During the course of their relationship, the businessman ends up realizing that there is more to life than money; the prostitute ends up leaving her life of sex for money. Both are somehow redeemed from their formerly wasted lives without condemning or being condemned.

In that regard, the “Emerging Church” movement is analogous to evangelizing a prostitute by fornicating with her. While that seems harsh, some in this movement would accept that analogy as an accurate characterization. The only “evils” in society are defined as things that cause human suffering and Christianity is simply equated with an effort to solve social problems such as hunger, homelessness, and racism.

Some Christians have even been caught up in this kind of thinking. They need to be reminded that Jesus didn’t die for the philosophies of men, but for man’s salvation from the philosophies of men (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Jesus proclaimed His message as “truth” (John 8:32) and severely chastised those who did not believe it (John 8:44-45).

The disciples confessed Jesus as the one that they knew and believed to be the Holy One of God (John 6:69). They died willing to confront a similarly pluralistic culture with the absolute truth that Jesus was the way and the gospel was the truth. If we, as Christians, are unwilling to stand up for the absolute truth of the resurrection of Jesus, then we’ve been evangelized instead of evangelizing.

The muddy waters of the Mississippi are broad and deep, but it is impossible to see anything clearly when surrounded by them. If we surrender truth to engage the postmodern world with Christianity, we’ve surrendered the whole war. Let us not seek to be conformed to the world, but transformed out of it (Romans 12:1-2).

Boring Worship

Sometimes we hear the complaint about the boring worship. Some feel excused from attendance because the worship is boring. The songs are too slow, the prayers too long, or the preacher talks in a monotone. Sometimes these are factors that can be fixed. This, however, gives the idea that the worship is for those in the pew. While some benefit of the worship may go to those who attend, (we are to sing one to another, agree in prayer, and the preaching is for our instruction) we need to understand that worship is for the Lord. A better thought might be, Is the Lord bored with our worship?

Perhaps the Lord is bored with the murmurer.

The murmurer (or complainer) is a continual problem in many congregations. Never satisfied he (or she) always has an opinion on one thing or another. It may be the sermon length or the preacher’s wife or the songs dragging or that someone didn’t say hello. They don’t suffer in silence, not the murmurer! Murmuring is a symptom of the rejection of authority (see Exod. 16). When authority is accepted the worshiper will accept without complaint that not everything will always be to their liking. Note that we are warned against murmuring:

nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer (1 Corinthians 10:10).

Do all things without grumbling or questioning (Phil. 2:14),

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door (Jas. 5:9).

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Pet. 4:9).

Murmuring happens so often that I think that, yes, the Lord might be bored with our worship.

Perhaps the Lord is bored with the wanderer.

As I taught one day on one of the Lord’s day as a guest speaker I could hear, in the audience, the snip, snip, snip sound of a worshiper(?) taking care of their fingernails. I have seen note passing, baby entertaining (not by the mother but by others in the audience) and even open talking and laughing. I know of others whose thoughts are of that afternoon’s football game, the deer stand, the fishing hole or what’s being served at the cafeteria. All this while the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, the Holy One of Israel, the Maker and Sustainer of man sits on His throne unattended. He is deserving of the worshiper’s full measure of worship. I can only imagine how boring worship must be for Him.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psa. 100)

Perhaps the Lord is bored with the hypocrite.

In worship they appear holy, they sing, pray, give, study, and partake of the Lord’s Supper as attentively as anyone but when they leave the church building it is a different matter. Jesus put it this way:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28)

Sometimes Christians can’t see the hypocrite (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43) but God can (Acts 1:24). I think he might be bored with hearing the hypocrite’s praise in His worship.

As a Christian I am not much worried about whether someone thinks that the worship is boring. Usually it is the murmurer, the wanderer and the hypocrite that have made it that way.

Put Down Your Weapons

Put down your weapon and come out with your hands up! We have all heard that on T.V. or in the movies. I hope none of us have had that happen to us in real life. We all recognize that this as a command and not a request. People who have to bark this statement out seldom do it tactfully or with politeness. It’s done with force because there is a possibility of force. A weapon is used to apply force or to cause injury toward someone or something.

What kind of man was Saul?
Saul believed that he was the king, the one that Samuel the prophet chose. He looked like a king. He had the ability of a king. Because he was the king, he had the right to be protective of his throne. He believed he had the right to make the decisions on his own. If he wanted to make a sacrifice without God, he would do it. If he wanted to destroy those who threatened his throne, he would do it. He was the king and it was his right, it was his prerogative!

George Barna in his book Generation Next comments on THE PREFERRED LIFESTYLE:

“We would like to have more structure provided, but without having our independence or our freedom to experiment impeded. We want to learn from the experiences and wisdom of our parents, but we are not willing to allow our elders the latitude to impart those lessons in a manner that fits parents’ needs and styles. We struggle with the effects of stress, but we continue to book busy schedules. More time in intimate experiences with family would be appreciated, but we will neither push for nor create those opportunities. We are frightened by the potential consequences of many at-risk behaviors, yet we flirt with those dangers regularly.”

So what do we want as our ideal lifestyle? It’s simple, really. A loving, caring, listening family that balances freedom and structure, trust and rules. A church that makes God real, religion fun, provides us with a chance to find truths that are comprehensible and relevant, and does not strangle us with a list of “don’ts”. We want friends who are understanding and giving, and who share the emotional realities of life and who can be counted on to grow with us. Schools that require little or no homework, teach pertinent subjects in interesting ways with minimal academic pressure, and that prepare us for meaningful and exciting careers. We would like a schedule filled with entertaining elements: music, video imagery and a celebration of the good things in life. The chance to make a difference without being emotionally drained or having to invest too much time. A taste of the pleasures in life that are forbidden – sex, drugs, booze and gambling – without paying the price for our dance with disaster. The resources to live comfortably, without guilt or remorse, and to enjoy the best the world has to offer without becoming slaves to affluence.

As the Rolling Stones sang a quarter century ago, “You can’t always get what you want…but if you try, sometimes, you can get what you need.”

Lets’ see how far we can throw (1 Samuel 18:10-11,20:32-33)
Just like Saul we believe that we are entitled to pick up spears in order to protect our reputations. We don’t want anyone to recognize our failures. So we pick up spears and try to kill off the people that get in our way.

We pick up spears out of jealousy.
We throw them with fear.
They cut the wind with disobedience.
They are aimed with suspicion.

Do the right thing (1 Samuel 19:4, 18:4)
We need to put down our weapons and come out with our hands up. Instead of throwing spears that would destroy the life or lives of God’s servants, we must surrender our weapons. That’s what Jonathan did. That’s what David did.

Jonathan was Saul’s son and the rightful heir to the throne. He could have killed David. He had the opportunity to pick up his weapon and thrust it into the man who was a threat to his father and his future as the king of Israel. But instead he made himself vulnerable. Jonathan didn’t pick up his weapon, he surrendered it.

He wasn’t arrogant, disobedient, jealous, fearful or suspicious. He didn’t throw spears at David. He defended David (1 Samuel 19:4) and spoke well of him to Saul his father. David had the opportunity to cut Jonathan down (1 Samuel 18:4). David was anointed by God to reign over Israel. When Jonathan put his weapon down and made himself vulnerable, it would have been the perfect time for David to cut off the bloodline of Saul, yet he didn’t. He had the opportunity to slice the throat of Saul, but he didn’t.

Then how come Saul threw spears? Saul was a gifted man who was outwardly empowered. David and Jonathan were broken men inwardly transformed. We do not have the right to throw spears or pick up swords to protect our reputation. We want to sit on the throne as king, but we don’t want to do what it takes to get there or stay there. I pray for brokenness but I won’t let God break me. I want a good reputation but I slander everyone else’s. I dream of success but I don’t want to work for it. I want character but I don’t want to get rid of my sin through accountability or transparency. Instead we throw spears at everyone to make them look like horrible people when compared to us.

Resisting Temptation

In the days of the Civil War, it was illegal to trade cotton; but many unscrupulous speculators tried to buy cotton in the South, run it through the Union lines, and sell it at great profit in the North. One of these speculators approached a Mississippi steamboat captain and offered him $100 if he would run his cotton up the river for him. The captain declined, reminding him that it was illegal. "I will give you $500,” said the man. "No," answered the captain. "I will give you $1000." "No," the captain said again. "I will give you $3000." At that, the captain drew his pistol, and pointing it at the man, he said, "Get off this boat! You are coming too near my price."

What is your price? We all have one. The enemy will attack us at our weakest point. He will tempt us and we have to know our price so that we can resist him and tell him to get off our boat (out of our life) before we give in.

Tempting Situations

"Son," ordered a father, "don't swim in that canal." "O.K., Dad," he answered. But he came home carrying a wet bathing suit that evening. "Where have you been?" demanded the father. "Swimming in the canal," answered the boy. "Why did you?" the father asked. "Well, Dad," the boy explained, "I had my bathing suit with me and I couldn't resist the temptation." "Why did, you take your bathing suit with you?" his father asked. "So I'd be prepared to swim, in case I was tempted," he replied.

The Bible teaches us that if we resist the devil he will run away. It doesn’t say he might or could. It just promises us that he will go away. The problem is that so often we make his job very easy because, rather than resist, we plan to fall. We blame our failures and mistakes on the enemy but so often it isn’t his fault as much as it is ours. Christ came to earth and was tempted in every area of life so that he could become a savior that would understand our desires and weaknesses. Therefore, he has made a way of escape. It was his divine duty to provide that escape route, so now it is our responsibility to take advantage of it and resist the devil. Most of our failures could be avoided. It is very important for you to learn to avoid tempting situations. The strongest Christians are not necessarily those with extra power; they are those who have learned not to put themselves in situations where the pressure would be so great that they would give in. Why put yourself in a situation where you will be tempted? Learn to avoid places where you will be asked and pressured to compromise on your beliefs. Be careful what you allow yourself to see and hear so that your mind won’t be consumed with thoughts that will lead to sin. Be extremely cautious with whom you spend your time because your friends can place you in situations that are too tough to handle. Find friends who will protect you from temptation. Make the devil’s job hard. Avoid temptation. Don’t plan to fall. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can always ask for forgiveness later. Win in the beginning. Don’t go near the temptation so you will be a stronger and more successful Christian. Leave the swimsuit home and avoid the canal!

Tempting Illustrations 

The Sympathetic Son of Man (Hebrews 4:15-16)
Joseph Mallord Turner, English painter, invited Charles Kingsley to his studio to see a picture of a storm at sea. In rapt admiration, Kingsley exclaimed, "It's wonderful! It's so realistic! How did you do it?" The artist replied, "I went to the coast of Holland and engaged a fisherman to take me out to sea in the next storm. Entering his boat as a storm was brewing, I asked him to bind me to the mast. Then he steered his boat into the teeth of the storm. "The storm raged with such fury that at times I longed to be in the bottom of the boat where the waves would blow over me. I could not, however. I was bound to the mast. Not only did I see the storm in its raging fury, I felt it! It blew into me, as it were, until I became a part of it. After this terrible ordeal, I returned to my studio and painted the picture."

It is tough. Life is tough. It is a daily storm. We are tempted daily to quit and to give up on this Christian walk. We are constantly attacked at our weakest point. No one knows how hard it is. Actually someone does know. Jesus was tempted in every area in which we are tempted. He is sympathetic towards us. He knows. He understands. He has been there. He has dealt with it before. He felt the storm you are now experiencing. He became a part of this madness we often call life. He took the enemy’s best shots and strongest temptations and was victorious. And he did all of that so that you would know that you can endure too.

The Sinless Son of Man (Luke 4:1-13)

Jesus went through what you have or are going through without failure. Most of us can’t imagine never caving in to temptation, but that is what Jesus accomplished. He took the devil on and never lost. Because he was the Son of God, we have no problem understanding this. He was God, how could he lose? But what makes this victory so important to us is that Jesus was also the Son of Man. He was just like us. He felt just what we feel. He had desires just like we have desires. He had needs just like we have needs. He was one of us. He hurt just like we hurt. He got angry just like we get angry. But through it all he remained pure. He is living proof that we can win over temptation. He was a sinless man. He was the only sinless man. And the great news is that you have the same power working in you that was dwelling in Christ. You won’t pass every test but you don’t have fail as much as you do either. We have a savior who can assist us. We have a promise that all we have to do is ask him to help us and he will. In the time of our greatest need we can call on the Son of Man and he will come through. He knows and understands.

Tempting Implications

Since we know we are going to be tempted what should we do? Do we just clench our fist and grit our teeth and try to deal with it? No, we can do more that that. Jesus is again the perfect example. One of the most under used weapons against temptation is God’s Word. Notice that in Jesus’ life when the enemy tried to tempt him, Jesus always responded with God’s Word. Rather than trying to deal with him on his own, Jesus relied on the power of God’s Word. This is our secret weapon. We must learn to use God’s Word in its intended manner. God’s Word is a sword that we can use to fight the enemy. For every situation that we face in life there is a Word from God that can help us overcome and win victory. God didn’t give us the Word just so that we would have a nice book to place on the coffee table. He gave us the Word so that we could be armed and dangerous. The Word instructs us that when the enemy comes in like a flood that the Lord will raise up a standard against him. That standard is the Word of God. How often do you go into battle without your sword? Do you ever feel defenseless against the attacks of the enemy? If you do it is probably because you have failed to read, learn, and utilize the Word. A simple memory verse can be the difference between victory and defeat. Learn the Word. Make a habit of learning a new portion of Scripture each week. You will find that you will lose fewer battles. Draw your sword!

William Jennings Bryan used to tell about a man in his hometown who was an alcoholic. He went through a recovery program and apparently was delivered from his bondage to the drink. But, when he rode into town, he continued to hitch his horse to the rail in front of the tavern and soon was again a drunkard.