The Forgotten Wood

The Forgotten Wood

In the mist-shrouded morn there stood

A marshy scene of trees and falling leaves,

Unseemly, aged with dead and dying sheaves;

There’s serenity in this forgotten wood

And never a thought of beauty, good

Should enter my mind, but this scene cleaves

To soul of poetry and retrieves

The notions of a longed-for land that should

Exist. Wherefore this forgotten wood

Reminds the soul of what it believes:

This age is but the Eve of passing eves—

The longing for the Day and expected good.

   *     *     *     *     *     *     *

When you look at the world around you, what do you see? What does nature tell you about reality? Often, I find myself deaf to the gentle whispers of falling leaves or the exuberant cries of praise in the morning's glistening first rays. Yet there is a voice in the the world around us. It speaks from morning to night and through the night. To know what it says, however, is impossible for the unregenerate man, at least to a degree. But we as believers have the privilege of hearing this voice in its relentless proclamation of God's glory. I unite in spirit with David who has written these words:

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world." Psalm 19:1-4 NASB

The heavens are telling, yet they have no literal speech; their expanse declares, yet without words; and the day speaks, yet there's no audible voice. I find it interesting though, that after enlightening us with such a wonderful reality, David explains the perfection and sufficiency of the Word of God. So I've come to this conclusion. We, having been regenerated by God, have the privilege of knowing what this voice is telling us, for we have the Word in our hearts. And through the special revelation of God we can rightfully interpret God's creation which is also a revelation of His nature and attributes.

So concerning the poem, note this fragment: "the forgotten wood reminds the soul of what it believes". When we correctly understand the word and believe it, the nature around us directs our gaze to Him who made it. We remember that decay and death will be swallowed up and eternal life will ensue. Our minds remember heaven. Consequently we remember grace, the very grace of today and the infinite grace to come. The heavens truly do tell of God's glory, you just need to open your eyes and ears to nature's choir.

  

A different perspective.

I hear and see so much about how great everyone is doing, yet I seldom hear mourning for an unregenerate family member or the struggling Christian's deep sighs of agony after facing a resurfacing sin. So I'll contribute, to those who share in these struggles, a poem I wrote after one of the most blessed days I have had. Within my mind, however, I felt distant and at odds with Christ. The only thing I could do was ask for Him to act as I felt incapable of anything else.

*  *  *

O Christ,

In bitterness I've seen Thee shining;

In gloom Thy rays 'ave broken through;

Yet why does all my pining

Seem now a ceaseless brew?

Thy ways have dusted over,

Thy word has lost its gleam,

My mind's no longer sober,

And life seems but a dream,

So in prayer I come desi'ring,

On knees with head bowed low;

O send a wind inspi'ring,

And make my branches grow.

*  *  *

My friends, I share this not to commend this kind of attitude, but to shine some light of encouragement. You may be in this situation, and it may seem as if no one understands, but remember, you're not alone. My advice to you is to first stop thinking of your helplessness start thinking of His helpfulness. He is not only helpful, but He is mighty and strong. He understands all things, and sustains all things. His attributes are infinite, just as He is. You just have to take the dive, the dive into the ocean of the noblest thoughts of all: thoughts of God. But beware, you will soon be forced to remember the darkest and most pride-killing truth, the Son of God dying for each and every one of your self-centered and self-reliant deeds. It is grim, yes, but there is light, for He died that you may forever have the ability to not only be forgiven for sin, but to forever live in the presence of God. He will sustain you and shine through every bitter, gloomy day. So live, live in the presence of God and ask Him to teach you how to delight in His way.


I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
-Psalm 32:8-10
 

Quick Post

I will be posting new poetry very soon! I've just had an adventure in Spokane, Amsterdam (only one day) and Russia, so it's been hard to figure out how to go about my blog. Hang in there though. I'm planning on expanding my poetic forms and begin writing prose as well. Hopefully, with God's help, I can grow and make writing into a reality.

Meanwhile, please pray that I stick to my guns with this desire, despite the looming cloud of discouragement from those who think money is more important than passion. Who knows, I may be wrong, so I need prayer. Thanks, also, for those of you asking me if I will continue making blog posts. It gives motivation to write.

I Believe in Jesus

This is an essay that I wrote for my English class. My teacher asked us to write a one to two page essay on what we believe in. And I, of course, took the opportunity to write about Jesus, God and the gospel. She got the idea from National Public Radio (NPR). You can browse through some essays here or just read mine :). I didn't fully conform to the "rules" (according to the website), but what I've written is what I believe and want others to believe as well.

One more thing. I encourage everyone to do this! It's a great way to sort through the flood of information we receive daily and see what truly matters in our lives.

I Believe In Jesus

            He was mocked, hated, spat on, beaten, scourged, and brutally murdered, yet he committed no crime nor was any deceit found in his mouth. He preached a paradox that some claim to understand, but rarely practice. This man is Jesus. This is who I believe in and to whom I owe everything. No one is greater, and no one deserves the devotion he deserves; but what does it mean to believe in him? And who was he really? The answer lies in understanding God, man, and the cross on which Jesus died.

            Of all the attributes used to describe God in the Bible, only one is repeated three consecutive times: the attribute of holiness. But what does it mean that God is holy? It means he’s wholly other and completely separate from his creation. He is different, because unlike his creation, he is uncreated and eternal. He always was; he never was less, and never will become more than what he’s always been. If God could change or become more perfect, then he is not God, and therefore not infinite. Holiness also brings together everything we know about God. Since we tend to think of attributes and characteristics according to our point of view, we often complicate the being of God into something more like us— a compound of many parts. God however, is not composed of parts. He is one, therefore when attributed love, we must understand his love is a holy love that is just, righteous, kind, and perfect all in one. Furthermore, giving God the attribute of holiness is admitting that man cannot and will never fully understand who God is. For we always look through a scope that singles out parts, parts that, in reality, aren't really parts, but the whole.

            Now, if God is holy, in what condition is man? God speaks to our state through his word setting a standard by which we can see who we truly are. The standard is God’s law found in the books of Moses. One book in particular, Leviticus, tells of an astounding command that goes like this, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2).  Thus we see God calling man to a perfect standard of living that is a reflection of who he is. But what happens if man sins? James, one of the twelve apostles, gives insight to this question: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.”” (James 2:10-11). This verse directly corresponds to God’s holiness. Transgression in any point is transgression of the whole. It’s like popping a balloon; no matter where a hole is made, the balloon will pop. So the question arises, is man holy? The answer requires no critical thinking, for all have been guilty at some point; however the Bible gives a deeper insight to the condition of man in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is frightening; because knowing God is holy, we cannot expect him to overlook that sin. His justice must be upheld, and the objection that “God is love” does not mean he can contradict himself. Man’s state is one of guilt of sin before a God who must punish it to uphold his justice.

            This is where the cross finally comes in. The cross is where God is seen most explicitly and clearly. For at the cross on which Jesus died we get the most clear manifestation of God for who he is. At the cross we see Jesus, God in human flesh, suffering the wrath of God in fullest measure. We see the love of God in giving his only Son to suffer in the place of sinners. We see his compassion, mercy, righteousness, grace... We see the unsearchable God doing the unthinkable, killing his son in the place of sinners. This is where we must continue the passage mentioned previously:

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3)

God is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” What more does anyone need to believe? Redemption is a gift of God and not dependent on my works. This is the gospel. This is life. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying for sinners. But the story doesn't end there, for God raised Jesus from the dead showing the acceptance of his sacrifice. What a story. What a God!

            I believe in Jesus. Without him, I would die in my sins. In him, I have eternal life and it is my joy to testify of the great God who saved me. My passion and zeal comes from these truths. Most of all, my life is now lived in full submission to this God-man, Jesus. For through him I have been reconciled to God, the most holy and most high God in “whose presence is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16).

This is a compilation of verses I've written in the past few months. Most of them are an attempt at a longer poem, but with the loss of inspiration, I never completed them. I hope you're blessed by reading these. It's been a blessing writing them and I'm happy to share my thoughts with you. 

* * *

Let us set our gaze on God

To bring to light and break away

From the sinful paths of life

That lead us all astray

* * *

In darkness, I heard the Lord say,

“Arise, I have adopted you.

For on my Son your sins did I lay

And holiness I now lay on you”

* * *

It’s not the way your lips do part

Nor is it in your frame

It is the love within your heart

That sparks again my flame

* * *

The seeing eye, the hearing ear,

the spirit filled with godly fear

knows no idol nor purpose vain,

but does all things in Jesus name

* * *

 Morning Walk

Somewhere along the morning skies

blue jays and robins sing in fluttering praise

imploring the sun to emit her rays

and from slumber joyfully rise

* * *

Evening Sky

The tender hues of blue and yellow

Make my heart grow faint and mellow

Then a rosy red gleams off the sky

Bringing delight to my wand'ring eye

* * *

Something I cannot comprehend

Is why would our God so holy and high

From heaven’s riches descend

To become our Redeemer, Healer, and Friend

* * *

O what a mystery,

Even in my doubts I believe

No matter how much I contemplate

And let my mind fill with hate

God is still there, beckoning,

“Return, repent! To Jesus cling!”

* * *

Black Bird

black bird, have you heard?

some say 

you look quite absurd

and the way you live

won't ever give

any person hope

black bird, why so depressed?

black bird! get up and fly

then I'll finally try

to build a nest

then I'll finally cry

for the Dove

to rest

within my yearning,

lonesome 

breast

A Prayer

Set a fire in me, Lord

one kindled by Your grace

burn away all flesh and sin

and draw me to Your face

Bring me near the cross, O Lord

to crucify my pride

that my boastful soul may see

it’s I who pierced His side

Guide me by Your Spirit, Lord

to make me like Your Son

that His name be glorified

and I with You be one

 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

-Isaiah 53:4-5

Early poetry

God the Provider

It is not I, but You O Lord

Who is the supreme Judge of all

Condemning sinners

Damning the wicked

To proclaim Your holy justice

It is not I, but You O Lord

Who made the perfect sacrifice

Lived a blameless life

Humble to the grave

To show the purest love of all

It is not I, but You O Lord

Who places me on Your holy hill

Providing refuge

Giving peace of mind

To never waver or despair

It is not I, but You O Lord

Who provides me with a passion

A zealous pursuit

An abounding thirst

To envision Your perfection

It is not I, but You O Lord

Who is the eternal Being

Forever worshiped

Submersed in glory

To forever be praised, Amen.

*  *  *

Flesh

Flesh—this wretched, filthy, stinking thing

Often brushed off as inevitable

Yet an honest man knows

That the fruit that it shows

Is cultivated by his own desire

Fruit—associated with good

But the fruit of flesh

Is as the neglected apple

Under its source

Rotten, decaying, of no good use

Apple—Eve chose you, yes?

More desirable than God?

A trustworthy statement it seems

Marked by the serpent’s nod

The lie of lies she believed

Lie—anything and everything which is not

The leaves covering a pit

An abyss of hellish torture

Freeing you to be captive

To all that Him who is good is not

By Timothy Berezhnoy

Silent

Silent

I find myself in this state:

my soul is silent

a hunger for things I cannot abate

O, I know well whom I must seek

but I go along with a mute heart

deflecting the welling desire to speak

with melodies that never fill

with images and colors whose pleasures thrill

then quickly fade…

My soul begins to suffocate

drowning in the mire of sin

with more temptation; it seems O, so great

that I cannot withstand
Gasp... gasp... grasp!

I finally grasp

a little string of hope,

something of substance, something real

it allows my soul to make a muffled squeal,

a supplication, a plea

rising to the surface of this cruel and darkened sea

I emerge

clenching that rope, that firm chain

with all my might, I hold on.

I see no water, no sky,

no land that’s dry

but I see one thing and one thing only

majestic, enrapturing, and holy

It is God pouring forth in light

in the form of man, the Son of Man, Jesus

Humble as a lamb to shed blood,

yet blameless, resurrecting in might;

He is the lion, the Almighty King!

my soul exults and to Him I sing:

O, who am I that I should say 'I'

For You alone, for You have shown

The glory from on high

And through You alone before the throne

my soul is revived...

I lost myself in this state
for Christ is ruling
His glory: matchless,
His grace: O, so great

Screens, Self-ward Gazing, and thoughts on Christian living

Sometimes we cannot conjure up the will nor the desire to actually work and strive for "the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14) Of course we want Jesus, we want Him badly, yet many times that desire is but a dream-- a happy notion in unhappy times. What our mind fills with, though, is an inquiry of whether or not that desire is genuine. Well, perhaps that is just an excuse made when our minds ramble aimlessly; but there is a certain screen-- an eclipse, as they say-- blocking us from seeing our Lord. This screen is either one thing or many. There can be many at a given moment, but I have the feeling the many only come up when one is in its place...

Careless, lazy, irresponsible, selfish, proud, self-righteous, unfaithful: All these sins (and more) describe us, yet we look at them as if they're not there. We do this because we don't truly believe. We don't truly believe that life is only possible if someone bares the full wrath of the Almighty God in our place. In our disbelief, we forget the horrors that Christ experienced when He cried "Eli, Eli, Lama sabacthani? My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" The eternal, pure, and holy relationship cut off, so that undeserving God-haters like us could know the same union that was from eternity past. But thanks be to God because He accepted His Son's sacrifice and raised Him from the dead. Now, "we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens" (Heb. 4:14) Christ: our righteousness, our Mediator. My friends, we need to remember that as soon as we disbelieve the gospel all those screens will come up to keep us away from the pure light of Christ.

To take it a little deeper those screens are the result of looking inward. When we look at life through the lens of "how I feel, what I want, or how bad it sucks being me," more and more screens will come up. The reality, however, is that the only way for us to function is by looking at God. Everything God made is an outpouring of His glory and His desire to be known, so when we set our gaze on ourselves, things will stop making sense. Life is from God, to God and through God, so of course it'll stop making sense when we only look at ourselves. We need to meditate on God, read His word, cry out to Him, and renew our mind in His truth. Then everything will start making sense. We will want to fight sin and gouge out our eyes, so to speak, once we realize sin hinders us from having a relationship with our Lord. We will also see God's unending grace that is there despite our shortcomings. Most of all, we will know Christ. Isn't that worth the effort? to know our Lord and Savior, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the most holy and most high? I am convinced it is.


I want to see! I want to see!
I want these eyes to know my iniquity
Oh, inward gaze how foul thou art
How deceiving and not perceiving!
How vile and sin-conceiving!
May my gaze be turned to God
To truth to light
to righteousness, holiness
to glory shining bright!
All embodied in the Lord
Jesus Christ




Thank you for reading my post. Blessings

A Poem

A mind full of consternation and exasperation

over things I cannot change

if only it could be grasped; my mind turnéd sane

yet my sanity totters; it’s almost deranged...

this blur of thought is only here to defer

the truth is revealed in my reluctant will

that secretly waits for a different sense to come in

one of peace, quiet, and still

The will comes with peace

though peace won’t come without the will

and no will without the inner peace

therefore I will meditate in my heart and be still

For what precedes that line

but a command for the will not the whim

a simple committal and a gaze be set

to Him who says "tremble and do not sin” 

Tremble and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.        Selah

Psalm 4:4

Class Commences

We scurry to straighten all our papers

A shuffling sound of mangled sheets

If only we had more staplers

to fill the air with metallic beats

But the work is due and class commences

bringing about the restriction of our brains

it's a world of learning between papery fences

where imaginations drown, bound to single lanes

Though we drown, we'll surely resurrect

these lanes, they strengthen us where we're weak

and restriction frees us more than we'd suspect

drawing us to the very dreams we seek

Know

Know

You know that you don't know

but you still think you know

and though that isn't so

you think to know you need a miraculous show

but, my friend, that show

has already made itself known

O, so long, long ago

however one thing you may not know

is that to know is to go

know that it is an action

and not just an acknowledgment

the first step of a journey

and a bringing of oneself low

it is to live as though

there is no life apart from to know

and be convinced that this know

is more mutual than this life can possibly show

but be sure, it will be made known

brighter than the sun, this day,

has shone.

This was written to my good friend. I pray the Lord gives him an overwhelming desire to follow Christ and know Him intimately in this journey called life. 

When a Pharisee Learns From a Tax Collector

What befalls a wretch as I

Who, overtaken by his own pride,

Has a clouded heart and blinded eye?

A plea, a plea befalls me!

A beating of my breast
O Lord, O Lord! Help me see!
That my soul, may find its rest.

Our Desperate State

   This is my first attempt at a Gospel presentation in freeverse form. The more I immerse myself in the riches of the Gospel I see how this poem falls short of truly illustrating the Gospel in its entirety. Despite the shortcomings, I am convinced that what God did allow me to portray through this is definitely worth meditating on. 

Our Desperate State

The world assails and flails us with fallacies and lies

Demanding we esteem them as to blind our eyes

Stifling all truth and satisfying our pride

With silly passions deferring us from the great divide

But let us stop

Let us think of sense, and reason

Let us think beyond the attacks

Let us think, of the Heavenly Kingdom

A realm unknown to us

Though more real and relevant

Even to the least of us

It houses the redeemed and reigns supreme

Over all ever heard, touched, smelled, or seen

Brought on by the Messiah – the God-man, Jesus

Who is this man? Why did he proclaim?

Was it for favor, fortune or fame?

No, it was to cure the sick and heal the lame

It was to free our fettered hearts

And make them sane

For we have a problem, you see?

Ever since the Garden, when Eve

Decided to usurp God’s place in her heart with a thing,

We've become devoid of life, defective and disconnected

From the One whose glory we once reflected

This wasn't just a forbidden fruit and tree

It was the genesis of the notion:

“What if I establish the sole worship of me?”

A truly treacherous state

One enslaved and ensnared to a hellish fate

Yet it’s something we chose

We decided to disobey

We made ourselves foes

To God’s goodness, glory, and grace

Now, something we need to realize

Is that God is absolutely perfect, holy, and wise

And without adherence to His design

We bring our soul to eternal demise

This separation with God

Isn't just death and obliteration

Its eternal decay

And God’s wrath brought to consummation

It seems as if there is no hope, however don’t despair

Remember the Preacher

Remember the Kingdom Christ declared

It was He who descended from the heavens above

To manifest to us His infinite, unsearchable love

So again, who is this man? Why did he proclaim?

Was it for favor, fortune, or fame?

No, it was God made man like us

To live perfect, righteous—without blame

It was to carry our chains, endure the pain

And bear the burden of our shame

This was so the depths of our heart that we defiled

Would be cleansed; with our Creator reconciled

And that eternal wrath and separation

Be secured to an everlasting relation

My friend,

Do you now know why Jesus had to die for your sin?

It was so your dead soul could rise

And forever be with Him.

  

  Those of you who haven't experienced salvation and regeneration, you really are in a desperate state. Like the poem says, you are disconnected from the only eternal, infinitely good, righteous, loving, and just being there is. This being is God and separation from Him means being united and enslaved to all He is not; which is self-love, hate, immorality, death, perversion and darkness. You need His Son! You need Him to take your sin, crush it and put it to death at the cross. Your life utterly depends on this man who Himself said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me". -John 14:6 But don't think that just saying you accept and "believing" in Him is enough. Genuine belief will result giving your life to Him completely and living by His words alone. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."-Matthew 16:25 Therefore cling to Jesus Christ and throw everything away, because only He is life and only in Him is salvation from the judgment you deserve.