Sons And Discipline - [Hebrews 12:3-11]

Running the Christian Life with Endurance

I don't know if you remember the runner jim fix member jim fix he was overweight at thirty five uh... smoker. And he began to run. Uh... he was a writer. He was uh... uh... in the mensa club for high iq people.

And he had all kinds of books about puzzles and games and things like that. And then he started to run. Uh... he'd been through a divorce and he began to run outside jogging. And uh... wrote a book about how to run.

And i remember getting that book before i was training for a marathon and just whatever he said to do i wanted to do jim fix this runner one day july twentieth nineteen eighty four at fifty two years old.

He was running on vermont vermont route fifteen and hardwick. And what had happened. He fell over dead of a heart attack. And uh... the autopsy wasn't because he ran a lot but because he was just genetically predisposed had all kinds of coronary uh... artery issues blockages.

And he fell over dead. Well why do i use that as an illustration. Well i was thinking today about running running with endurance training trying to make sure that you can run a twenty six mile race with endurance.

Today i want to talk to you about a spiritual race that every christian is in. And so if you take your bibles and turn to hebrews chapter twelve we're gonna look at the author of another book who lost his life during a race.

But it's not from a heart attack. We know the lord jesus died of crucifixion for his people out of love for the father. And we're gonna look at hebrews chapter twelve today how to run the christian life when things are difficult.

I guess that sounds apropos for today. Doesn't it sound kind of relevant. That's a great part about god's word. It is trans. It is trans chronological. I guess it's trans chronological too. It is everything from authoritative to sufficient.

And we will look at hebrews chapter twelve today so we can see how god has ordained through his messenger. Probably paul but the writer of uh... hebrews so that we can run with many pains many trials many hardships many difficulties through the end.

God's word gives us instruction on how you can finish your life well how you can run with endurance in spite of troubles that might tempt you to go back to your old ways of life. Uh... hebrews twelve uh... is going to be a great instruction.

We're gonna look at hebrews chapter twelve essentially today with some review. Verse one through verse eleven. And it's gonna be very very simple. Outline. How does a christian run their life when there's difficulties.

Looking to Jesus in the Race of Faith

One you look to who jesus is. Two you accept discipline from a loving father. Super simple. Instead of saying you know what i'll look to myself. I'll look to other people. I'll look to politicians. I'll look at economics.

I'll look at the internet. I'll look at the other things. No. Number one keep your eyes fixed on jesus. And number two accept discipline instead of saying to yourself you know what. Uh... god must not love me because i'm in this trial.

Uh... god must not care for me. Why god can't you see i'm your child. And why would you do this to me. Put me through this trial. Today we're gonna see simple instructions. Keep your eyes on who jesus is and accept a trial from a loving heavenly father who wants to conform you to the image of his son.

Verses one through four talk about looking to jesus when we're in this race. Therefore since we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely.

And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us christian. You have to strive to run. You must uh... sweat to run. You must try to run. Uh... once in a while my nebraska background comes out and my dad would probably say something like this.

This is no time for lollygagging. Remember that phrase to lollygag. I think that's how kids maybe sometimes clean the house or sometimes how i might mow or trim the yard with a lollygagging kind of fashion.

No no, he is sane, christian uh... in light of what god has done. Remember for the first eleven chapters this high priest has been painted before you that he would be worthy to serve. It'd be an honor to run a race for him.

If he were to have you uh... be his emissary. You'd say for him i would do anything. And so now the response section of hebrews comes up. And the response is not just laying back and letting god or kind of coasting.

You are in a race. So act like you're in a race. And he gives encouragement here because he knows it's not easy. So he says take off any kind of weight that you have. You don't want to run in a a tuxedo or a wedding dress or formal attire.

You need to strip down to the basics. And so for us probably today it'd be tennis shoes and some light shorts and a light tank top or something here he says i want you to get rid of things that maybe aren't sinful.

Notice the text every weight and things that are sinful. The sin that clings so closely. Sometimes people could get so absorbed with the christian liberty. Maybe it's gardening. Maybe it's hiking. Maybe it's whatever that would be good.

But it consumes their walk with the lord jesus. And he says you know what. Get rid of that weight. Incidentally that word weight is where we get our word oncology because oncologists deal with tumors that have weight.

Get rid of every kind of weight that would drag you down. You watch runners. And they actually try to make sure they don't have any weight in their arms. They try to stay as thin as possible because they know they're in a long distance race.

An old christian brethren author said is what you're doing a weight or a wing. But not only christian liberty. Do you have to make sure doesn't consume your life so that you are running properly. But also send the sin which clings so closely from pornography to pride to self-righteousness to covetousness.

Wanting to make a name for yourself every kind of sin you can just here first. Peter. Chapter two. You're like a newborn baby longing for the pure milk of the word. But before you come to that word you put away all guile and deceitfulness.

Run the christian life. Well by getting rid of every kind of weight and sin. John owens said let not that man think that he makes any progress in true holiness who does not walk over the bellies of his lusts.

And as you're running it says verse two. Don't forget that this is one complete sentence verses one and two. As you're running you're looking to jesus human name for jesus he really ran this race. And how well did he run.

What did he do when he ran. He's called the founder and perfecter of our faith. Isn't that great. He's the founder. He's the one that leads. Uh... i like war stories. I'm glad i never had to go into war.

But i i've met people who have been in the jungles of vietnam in world uh... in uh... in world war two in the vietnam war. And they have machetes and they're chopping through the jungle and the foliage.

And you're the guy behind that leader. That's the kind of idea here jesus has gone through. He's went ahead. He's your the forerunner. And you follow him. You keep your eyes on him. Remember when peter saw jesus walking on the water and he he he didn't know what was going on.

And jesus said take heart it is i do not be afraid. And peter answered him lord if it's you command me to come to you on the water. And jesus said come. So peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to jesus.

Now what happened next. Think about running. Think about not looking at the right person. But when he saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried out lord save me. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him saying oh you of little faith.

Why do you doubt you're running. You keep your eyes on jesus. It's so easy to be distracted. It's almost like the writer is saying you know what. Why don't you have those blinders. You know you put the blinders on the horse so they can't get scared seen to the left or to the right.

Run. Look into jesus the author of this trailblazer and not only that the perfecter or finisher. How many times people don't finish. Uh... i i can tell you this that uh... while i love to read uh... i don't finish books very well.

Why. Because i just keep starting new ones over and over and over. I think i'm literally reading fifty books now that there's probably a marker in there someplace and it's not finished. The bad news is i don't finish really any book.

Uh... except all at once. You finish all fifty. At once. You kind of think oh wow i got all that done. Is there anybody that could finish the christian race. Is there somebody that won't get to the very end.

And just kind of drop the ball. Well here's the lord jesus. He's the author and perfecter. Follow him all the way. Moses drops the baton. Abraham drops the baton. David drops the baton. Isn't there anybody who's going to race all the way to the end.

Because if i start looking at these other men of faith and women of faith they drop the baton. They fumbled. But no here the lord jesus perfected finished. And what did jesus run for the joy that was set before him.

You can just imagine the father's pleasure. Well done son. Great race. You became obedient to the point of death even death on the cross. And therefore i will highly exalt you race. Well run looking to jesus.

So it's not just a matter of i have to get rid of sin in my life. I get rid of sin in my life as i look to jesus. Looking to jesus. By the way if you're an unbeliever the advice is still the same. Look to jesus.

Believe in him. I remember the story about charles spurgeon the great baptist preacher. How did he get converted. It was a snowy night. The pastor wasn't there for whatever reason. He stumbles into this little chapel and there's only about twelve people there.

Ten or twelve people. He sits up in the balcony. Well they had a replacement for the preacher. And uh... i think it was a deacon if i remember rightly. And he didn't really have much preaching experience.

So what did he do. He just went to a passage and just kept repeating the passage over and over and over again. As young spurgeon sat up in the balcony. This was his passage. Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved.

Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved. The account says that he looked up to spurgeon the preacher in the middle of the sermon and said you look miserable. I only have let's see one two three four about six or seven people here today.

I'll try not to do it to you. You look miserable spurgeon. He didn't know his name. Look unto jesus. And spurgeon said that was it converted through a frail preacher talking about looking to the savior the lord jesus christ.

Dear friends when we come from hebrews chapter eleven into twelve looking to jesus. Every one of these people listed in hebrews eleven that's what they were doing now. Jesus hadn't arrived yet. But they knew about the messianic promises.

And so david was looking for the messiah to come. Abraham's looking for the messiah to come. They're running the race. They all are not in this chapter eleven because they're so faithful. But they're looking to jesus.

And of course when you do that then the response is a faithful life. And certainly god had them do faithful things. Some are shown here. But it stems from faith in jesus. They're looking to jesus. And since they had less about jesus to look to new covenant people have more to if they could run the race.

Why can't we. In addition if you ever preach hebrews eleven. And you just say be like david be like sarah. Without saying david is only to be looked at because he's looking to the greater david. You've dropped otherwise we just turn into moralism.

What if i preach to you something like this. Are your sacrifices acceptable to god. Like abels. Did you do you. Are you walking with god like enoch. Have you been faithful for a hundred twenty years. Like noah.

Do you imitate abraham. Because wherever god calls you you go. Are you like sarah. Trusting in the impossible. That's the wrong way to preach. We don't preach dare to be a daniel. We preach that daniel had a great object of his faith the lord jesus christ.

Even though he didn't know his name was jesus yet the son of god exalted. How do you endure the christian life. Keep looking to jesus. He says in verse three something similar. Consider him. Think about it.

Reflect calculate. Get your notepad out. Take time to consider him who endured from sinners. You're supposed to endure. I'm supposed to endure. Keep your eye on the one who endured. And he endured from sinners a lot more than what i'm gonna go through such hostility against him.

For what purpose did he do this as a trailblazer. He did it in this particular guard so that you dear christian might not grow weary. Are faint-hearted. I can't take this anymore. I'm throwing in the towel.

I quit. I just gonna have to coast. I'm gonna go back to what my old religion used to be. I brought up in some kind of religion where it was just so much easier just to take communion every week. And uh... just have the mass every week and do this every week of the golf course every week.

I can't take it anymore. You're looking at the wrong place. For consider him. What did jesus have to go through. And we won't submit to do something lesser he says. I want you to think about it. Because christ has triumphed.

One writer said we can conquer his cross is the sign of victory. It's almost like you know when you're running uh... you think okay what do i have to do. So at mile twenty of the boston marathon i don't bonk that term bonk.

We just kind of like all the glycogen stores are out of your liver and muscle. By the way for those people who think bonking or hitting the wall came about because of running or some kind of mixed martial arts or something like that.

No no no. Bonking came out of bicycling british transport films in the mid nineteen fifties realized when cyclists didn't rest or eat they would hit the wall and bonk. And they said it was a feeling similar to getting head hit on the head bonked on the head.

So you're running and you kind of bonk out. What do you do. What causes spiritual bonking. I can tell you morbid introspection looking at self. Morbidly looking at others. Thinking about what they do what they don't do.

Morbidly looking at the world. And it's seen without thinking about the sovereign god behind without focused on who jesus is. That's why he has to tell us what to do. Because we need the command. Consider.

Meditate. Think about who jesus is. Careful estimations. Spurgeon said he carried his heavy cross but we only carry a sliver or two of it. He drank his cup to the dregs and we sip a drop or two at the very most.

Consider how he suffered more than you can ever suffer and how he is now crowned with glory and honor. And you are to be like him. Not just in descending into agony but also exaltation. He's the forerunner.

He's the perfecter. And he suffered and was exalted. Christian. You're gonna suffer but you will be exalted. So don't grow weary. Don't grow fatigued. Don't be discouraged. This is the cure for a weary heart.

The lord jesus. Now i have some notes that i don't know if i wrote or somebody else wrote them but i i think they'll touch your soul. Christian. Consider christ who was your substitute. He died in your place.

Christ the substitute bore your punishment that was rightly due you. Your guilt was credited to him in such a way that he representatively bore your punishment. Dear christian. Consider christ. He redeemed you.

You were in the slave market of sin. And he purchased you with his own life with his own blood from the marketplace of sin. You were enslaved and held in prison. And by virtue of a payment of another the lord jesus you have been released.

And all the satisfaction that god requires on law keeping jesus did in your place. The purchase price for your freedom and the release from your sins was the death of jesus. You now christian belong to christ.

You're christ alone. You've been bought with a terrible cost out of love. Consider christ who's reconciled you to god. You know christian god made peace. The son made peace with the father for you. You were god's enemy and god of the son brought you into communion with god by the power of the holy spirit at the direction of the father.

There is this awful sin barrier between you and the father and you were hostile toward god. And what was worse than that is god was hostile toward you. But through christ that enmity and the wrath of god was removed for you.

You couldn't do it. He did it all for you. Did you know that jesus christ satisfied the wrath of god for you. God is so holy. God is so righteous. He can't overlook any sin including yours. Not just one not even one.

He was so angry with your sin but so loving that he provided propitiation satisfaction by punishing his son in your place. Dear christian did you know jesus forgave you all the charges on the ledger against you.

God removed your debts were nailed to the cross and christ atonement was freely given to you for the forgiveness of sins. You'll never be judged for your sins again. It's that kind of thinking where you think if he did that for me well i need to keep running.

I might stumble a little bit but lord i'm gonna just keep running because i've considered christ. Well not only that it says in verse 4. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

He's writing to the original recipients. And they had been thrown in jail but they haven't been martyred yet. But even up to the point of martyrdom which could come that shows you the extent of what you should do in this race.

In this struggle we move from running to war running to fighting. And i think probably some christians don't even think they're in a battle. Some don't think they're in a race. Some don't think they're in a battle.

You can imagine i don't know what your favorite world war 2 story is a bunch of soldiers standing around bastone smoking cigarettes not even thinking that there's people shooting at them because they don't think they're in a war.

This is a battle striving against sin. To what degree? Up until death shedding blood galvin said, for christ will have no discharged soldiers but only those who have conquered death itself. How do you endure this race?

Discipline from a Loving Heavenly Father

Number one, look to jesus. Number two, accept training from your heavenly father. Discipline your heavenly father who loves you. Verses 5 through 11. Now i'm going to read verses 5 through 11 and i want you to ask yourself the question are there repeated words?

One of the best ways you can find out the meaning of a passage is to look for the repetition of certain words. And there's two words that are repeated a lot and i will give them emphasis as i read. And then you'll know what this whole section is about.

Hebrews 12, 5 to 11. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the lord nor be wearied when reproved by him. For the lord disciplines the one he loves and chastens every son whom he receives.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline in which all have participated then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Besides this, we all had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them.

But he disciplines us for our own good that we may share in his holiness. For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. But later, it yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

You don't have to be a bible scholar to go to this passage and say i think i know what it's about. It's about what? Discipline. And about sons. Sons get discipline. By the way, the word discipline contains the word child in it.

So we can almost weave all these things together. Discipline, that's the key word discipline of sons. Why does a dad discipline his sons? That's a good question that kind of can unlock all what's going on here in this passage.

And it's not to harm but it's because he loves his son. And i said it earlier. And i want to say it again if you're falling into the trap right now i'm going through this trial. I've lost a loved one because of the virus.

I've lost my job. I've lost my hope. Our families aren't getting along because we're all under one roof. And this, that and the other. And what about the economy? What about this? It could be a thousand different things.

And you say to yourself you christians say to yourself god doesn't love me anymore. See? He doesn't love me. Well, then you ought to think differently. You ought to repent because that's not the point of discipline.

You say, well, my dad used to discipline me out of anger. And see, i just transport that and project it all on who god is. I mean, my dad, 6 '4", 240, golden glove boxer. And we didn't mess with dad. And by the way, my brother and sister, Marcy and Pat we all had to run to the car and call the back seat behind the driver dad.

I called the seat behind dad. Why? It wasn't because he was 6 '4 and needed to put his chair all the way back his seat. Because then we had no room. But he couldn't reach back there to hit us in anger right?

And sometimes if he did grab you i've told you the story he'd just grab our hair and just yank really hard. And then like for the next five minutes it'd be like this. That's why i am what i am this way.

Lots of times he'd drink too much and he'd discipline us. And i have these big welts on my leg. And it's shaped like a hand. Say, well, you know what? This whole discipline thing. My dad was angry, sinful, drunk.

That's how he disciplined me. This is a father who loves you. How much does he love you? You think, well, wait a second. When i think of the love of god i think about for god so loved the world he gave his only begotten son.

When i think about the love of god behold what manner of love this is. We're called children of god. When i think of love i think about god doesn't spare his son for us. And it's from that same loving father that he disciplines you.

This is the holy perfect father that never ever disciplines out of wrath and anger. Dear christian if you think the discipline that you go under and go through and the trials that god brings to your life have no purpose.

You've missed everything. If you knew there was meaning to suffer to suffering you'd go, ok i want to learn this lesson. If god is going to teach me something might as well learn the lesson. So the suffering doesn't go on longer etc.

A father disciplines his son. Not because he wants to hurt. Not because he is some kind of ogre. And by the way if you're the author of hebrews and you're talking to a bunch of hebrews what do you think you use to try to help them along the path to understand truth.

Answer the old testament verse 5. Did you know verse 5 and 6 in parenthesis there right after you have you forgotten the exhortation that there are two sons. This comes right from proverbs 3 all kinds of child raising stuff in proverbs and discipline from proverbs.

When i say discipline there's all kinds of forms of discipline. He uses proverbs chapter 3 it says wonderful my son. Do not regard lightly the discipline of the lord nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the lord disciplines the one he loves and chastens every son whom he receives. When my kids were little i'd often say to them in the midst of all our disciplining i'd say does daddy discipline the kids down the street.

And i would name them by name. Oh no. You don't. Should i. No. Why. Well i generally love them. But i love you. I want to discipline you to help you. The thing about this is this is an easy truth to forget.

Why do you think he says in verse 5 have you forgotten. Because you're in the trials you're in the trouble. Your head goes down and you're like you know what i can't see up. I'm not walking by faith. It's easy to forget this.

You get the news from the doctor. You're like does god love me. This is easy to forget. So he says please i want you to know your father loves you. If you're a christian your heavenly father loves you with an everlasting love.

He loves you as much as he loves the son jesus. Because you're in christ you have union with christ. So therefore when you receive discipline from a loving heavenly father the response can't be i quit.

The response can't be i'm bitter. The response can't be you know what i'm just done with this. Samuel rutherford said faith learns to kiss the hand of her striking lord. God's purposes are good for you.

Romans 8 .28 is true. God's not mad at you. God's not angry with you. Remember because all the anger and wrath was poured out on the son. There's no double jeopardy with a just god. I think when i think of discipline i make sure i have a category anger wrath punishment and then discipline and correction.

You christian receive the second not the first. Because jesus is the propitiation for our sins. 1st john 2. 1st john 4 in this is love. Not that we love god but he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

We aren't disciplined by an angry father. And we don't receive punishment from a wrathful father. Because we have a heavenly father we have a relationship to now as a son. By the way whatever discipline we get i thought thomas brooks made a viable point.

It's a lot less than we deserve thomas brooks. He who has deserved a hanging has no reason to charge the judge with cruelty if he escapes with a whipping. And we who have deserved a damning have no reason to charge god for being too severe if we escape with a fatherly lashing.

That is so true christian. Don't say god's mad at me. Don't say god doesn't love me. And don't say god is punishing me for my sins. Jesus has been punished for you. But you could say he's disciplining me.

Why do we discipline to correct. Why do we discipline to educate. Why do we discipline to prevent things that happen in the future. I can remember telling my children you're gonna feel a sting. And when you feel a sting i want you to know there are consequences to your behavior cause and effect.

I want you to know that the next time you wanna do that thing over there that i told you not to do that there's gonna be an effect that will happen if you keep doing that pink said. In divine judgment punishment god is a judge.

In divine chastisement he's a father. Objects of divine punishment are his enemies. Objects of divine chastisement are his children. Divine punishment is retributive. Divine chastisement is remedial. So don't forget that.

Dear christian when you go through troubles and trials here's what's happening. God disciplines you so that you grow and mature and that you can endure. What's the whole point of this. Endure. Endure.

Endure. Endure at the end of chapter 10. Endure chapter 11. These people endure how they endure by looking to jesus and not turning back. So how do you endure. Look to jesus and realize then when god disciplines you he's making you fit for the race to finish.

God ordains the end. You will be glorified. He ordains the means keep looking to jesus and accept these trials that are in your life now because there are probably bigger trials in the future that you'll be ready to go through because god is working on you.

Or you'll be ready to help other people through the path to endurance is by looking to christ and then saying i will accept his chastisement. The lord disciplines the one he loves. Verse 6. It's not a lack of love it's a sign of love and chastens every son whom he receives.

Now you have heard me probably preach often about these ideas and child raising and discipline and everything. And by the way if you say i'm a woman am i a son. I could call you a son. I mean i could call you a daughter just as easily.

Right. This is for all believers sons and daughters. But what about this idea of not disciplining. What do you think about parents that don't discipline. God says he disciplines every one of his sons every one of his daughters.

You ever meet somebody who doesn't discipline their kids. I have. And by the way when they're here at church and they're new and they don't discipline their kids. And i'm trying to think you know what.

Let the oxygen thing come down and let's get the parents first. Then we'll deal with the unruly kids. Because the issue isn't really the kids it's the parents. And we're trying to do all this stuff. I'm thinking there's nothing more chaotic in this world than a bunch of spoiled bratty kids who don't get any discipline.

True. Can i get an amen for that. Uh huh. There's some amening going on here. The text says you let people have their own way. They're a shame to their mother. They're a shame to their father. God's not going to be shamed because he says you know what.

I just love my children too much to discipline them. Or when i discipline them it doesn't work. I could give you thousands of reasons. That's an exaggeration. I could give you a dozen reasons why people say i don't discipline my kids.

It doesn't work. Psychology says such and such every son or daughter that the lord has through faith in christ jesus is going to get disciplined because he cares for you think about it. The son jesus.

Jesus christ suffered on his way to calvary. And at calvary then he was exalted. Do you think little christian little christ christian. Do you think you as a son aren't going to suffer when jesus the ultimate son suffered.

Do you think jesus when he never sinned at all still suffered. We sin. Don't you think we're going to suffer. That's why this kind of message is a rebuke a slap in the face a cold a frigid rejection of any kind of prosperity.

Teaching everything in your life is going to be great. By the way spiritually everything in your life is great if you're a christian. But that's not what we're talking about here. God reproves. God corrects.

God gives discipline. Sons and discipline go together. Sons and daughters and discipline go together. The ultimate example of sonship is jesus christ. The ultimate example of suffering is jesus christ.

And so these people who got this letter they were suffering. And he says just make sure you keep looking to jesus. And by the way while you can't read providence and say what kind of suffering is this.

Is it because of the fall. Is it because of other people's sin. Is it because of my own sin. Here's what i do know this wouldn't be coming about in my life unless god ordained it. God has ordained this trial.

Now if you're not really thinking about a high view as god as much. Okay then use these. Use this language. God has allowed this. God has permitted this. I think it's better to say god has purposed it.

God has ordained it. But he could have stopped all this stuff going on in your life. Why didn't he. For many many reasons. But one is he's going to use this to train you so that you might endure so that you think you know what he's preparing me.

He who spares the rod hates his son. True or false. Proverbs 13. It's true. You say well these people don't hate their kids. No. But the net effect is i hate you. Just run off on your own. I won't correct you at all.

The opposite is true. He whom he loves is careful to discipline. And this is easy to forget. That's why he says in verse 5 don't forget that. Don't forget this. When do you learn the most. Dear christian.

When have you learned the most. And for some of you that are younger maybe you haven't gone through these things. But i'll tell you when you're going to learn the most is when you're in those trials. And when the doctor calls and when the baby's born and they have to take him off to the NICU.

And when there's the miscarriage and when they call with the C word cancer you'll learn the most. Then that's how god teaches us. That's how god gets our attention. One writer said i'm afraid that all the grace i have got out of my comfortable and easy times and happy hours might lie on a penny.

But the good that i have received from my sorrows and pains and griefs is altogether incalculable. What do i not owe to the hammer and anvil and fire and file affliction is the best bit of furniture in my house.