A Question of Turnips

     I grow a vegetable garden three seasons out of the year and it is no surprise that the LORD often speaks to me during my hours out in the garden. I enjoy my time spent with Him there! Currently, I am growing turnips - for both the greens and roots. Since my seeds sprouted, I've kept a watchful eye on my turnip patch, which is in a raised bed. 

    At first, because they were so small, I scattered the turnip seeds and lightly pressed them down into the fresh garden soil. Over the course of a couple of weeks, the seeds germinated, but I did nothing with them. After about three weeks, the sprouts were big enough to where they had secondary leaves and weren't too big nor established. So, that was when I was able to thin them out - transplanting the "extras" to spots in the bed to where in the end, all of my turnips were evenly spaced out and not crowded.

    When the seeds germinated, I didn't question their identity. I assumed that they were all 100% turnip sprouts. When I transplanted and thinned the young turnip plants, I noticed that more than a few (a good half-dozen or more) looked just a little different, but not enough to rule them out as anything other than turnips. However, because they looked just a little "off" and I couldn't pinpoint why.....I kept them, watered them, and nourished them all the same as all my little turnips grew.

    There were also obvious weeds sprouting up as well: sorrel, crabgrass, even a few that looked like it might be poke salad (pokeweed). I would pluck them up as soon as my eye spotted them. No need having them steal the soil's nourishment from my turnips! With the "off" turnips, I was tempted to pull them just because they weren't as fuzzy as my turnip leaves, yet their shape, size, color, and stems - even their growth were identical to my obvious turnips. 

    Each time I went out to check the progress of my turnip patch, I'd stare and puzzle at these "off" turnips. Are they turnips? Are they weeds? And literally agonizing over should I pull them as weeds or are they just different turnips - you know how some plants will grow just a little different based on their parent plant and/or soil? Every time I'd squat down and analyze these young plants - each week growing a little bigger, I'd hear the warning of the Scripture about the tares and the wheat. And how the servants were told not to pull up what they thought were tares in case they accidentally pulled up wheat - because they were too young to really be certain of their identity.

    My first harvest of turnip greens was last week. As I plucked off the choice greens, I yet again evaluated these mystery turnip-weed-whatevers. They still looked 90% similar to the turnips. Yet, at this point they had small leaves. So too, did most of my actual turnips have small leaves still, so I couldn't go by that. I was left again with that warning and remembrance of Scripture. Fast forward to this week, this morning....

    I went out for my second harvest of turnip greens, but before I started plucking, I observed the questionable plants mixed in. This time, it was like I had an "Aha!" moment or like someone finally turned on the light in a dark room. Where before I had questioned and doubted, today there was no more doubts. These imposters were just that - mimics of my turnips. What gave them away and why did today see a big reveal? Because I noticed that unlike my turnips, whose leaves grow straight from the crown of the root (turnip).... these plants had started branching out - with more stems and leaves suddenly appearing on each branch. 

    If I were to pull up one of my turnips, I'd find a large singular tap root (the turnip). I held my breath and pulled up one of the imposters and it started as a small tap root (it was even purple like my turnips!!!!), but it then branched out so thick with so many auxiliary roots that it brought up a huge chunk of soil. Aha! It is therefore a weed! The whole time, nearly two months, and I literally could not tell the difference between the two and now the differences were so obvious it was satisfying pulling up each one and tossing into the yard to no longer associate with my tried and true turnips. 

    Again, the passage of the wheat and the tares hit home, so I prayed about it. That turnip patch represents the Church, as a whole as well as individually. The turnips are those who are tried and true followers of Jesus, who have His Holy Spirit, and who seek the Father. Those who belong to Jesus will be obvious because they will live for Him, bearing the fruits of His Holy Spirit as well as walking and serving in humility. Because they have been transformed by Christ and their old self is dead (the seed germinating), they are easily identifiable. 

    The imposter weeds represent those who claim to be Christians and attend our churches, but are just that - imposters, tares, weeds. At first, it's hard to tell them apart: they come to church, they participate in ministries, they tithe generously, they claim Christ, they seem so good....yet, to those who have discernment, something seems a bit "off", though you can't quite place it. They just seem like the quintessential Christian, how could they be anything but?

    Then as you continue to watch them (as they grow), you start to notice that they're just a little bit different. Maybe they let slip something when having a conversation that makes you uncertain what they meant by that (it could be anything from sin to false beliefs). Maybe you saw them with someone of the opposite sex who wasn't their spouse (and they're married), but you wanted to believe the best about them (they are the most righteous person you know) so you dismissed it as just a relative, cousin, or sibling. 

    You start to suspect that maybe, perhaps, they might not belong to Christ after all - despite them doing all the things and saying all the warm fuzzy cliches. Something still is not quite right, and you start to have your doubts, but what if you're wrong? If you accuse them of false doctrine, willful sin, or anything else and it's not true - then you have slandered your brother or sister in Christ. It's too soon to say for certain. 

    Like with weeds and turnips however, time will always tell and your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23)! What the LORD is doing right now is exposing the tares, as He has been and is ever more so doing now. Now, I am seeing Christians admit that they don't believe God's Word, they are open about their "lifestyle", they see nothing wrong with rebellion, witchcraft, patriotistic-idolatry, filthy entertainment, living like the world, elevating people/institutions/figures as gods, humanism/transhumanism, or combining other religions. I'm even seeing those who say they are Christians, deny the deity and human nature of Christ (that He is fully God, the Son of God, and that He came in the flesh). The weeds are starting to reveal themselves, try as they might to still imitate the legit turnips. 

    So what are we to do when someone reveals themselves to be weeds? We warn them of their folly first, calling out their sin/false doctrine, and if no repentance is had - we expose them. This is the hard part. It is easy to let someone continue living in such a way, even though we know they are in danger of Hell, just to keep the peace - just to keep the numbers (in a congregation) or tithe amounts - just to keep a friendship or a position of favor, etc...It is outright difficult for most people to confront the sin, the rebellion, the false doctrines - calling for repentance and obedience to the LORD.

    Why is it so difficult? For myself, it's having to constantly deal with rejection and loneliness. We've lost friends, family, churches....all because we confronted them about their sin and they didn't accept it. Or as the verse goes, the light exposes the darkness, thus the darkness hates it (John 1:5, 3:19). And like with those weeds, I constantly think, "What if I'm wrong and they are really turnips?". But, the Holy Spirit assures me they are not. We cannot force people to be true followers of Christ, but we can warn them in seriousness as well as love - in the hopes that they will listen and repent, seeking the Lord. However, if they don't repent and turn back to Him, the consequence is a hard one: Hell. 

    Like with the weeds, I gave them ample time to "prove" themselves as true turnips. Yet, when all was revealed and they were seen to not be turnips, I uprooted them and tossed them into the yard to wither and die. So too will the Lord when He judges mankind. Those who are "weeds" will be pulled up and cast into the Lake of Fire. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. They will not be allowed to say, "But my leaves looked the same! I sprouted the same! The top of my root is the same color! Let me be a turnip too!" (Matthew 7:15-23) 

    That is why I implore those who call themselves "Christian" to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), testing yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5)! Scripture gives us many passages as to what a follower of Christ looks like, should live like, and should talk like. Imposters will be found out, your sin will find you out! Woe to those who justify their willful sin and approve of those who also willfully sin in rebellion against the LORD. The blood of Jesus covers His people from all sin and iniquity, yes, and we still are prone to sin in the flesh....but I am speaking here to those in our churches whose hearts do not belong to Christ. 

    I am warning those who live in sexual immorality, who have made gods in any image of practically everything, who think there is no wrong in participating in the occult and/or witchcraft, who do not love the LORD first and foremost, those who knowingly teach lies and falsehoods or prophesy falsely, those who are Freemasons/E.Stars/other secret societies, those who only involve themselves in a church for personal benefit/gain, those who elevate your church/ministry/denomination/community above the Lord in your heart, and especially those who refuse to love others nor forgive those who wrong them. 

    I used to be a weed. It is disgraceful the life I once lived as a weed growing up in the turnip patch. I looked like a potential turnip in the church, yet I was an imposter having involved myself in so much sin and rebellion in my heart. However, contrary to gardening reality - our spiritual reality is that JESUS CAN TAKE US AS WEEDS AND TRANSFORM US INTO TURNIPS! That's a silly analogous statement, but read it again. I implore those of you who think you are turnips, but are weeds because of your willful rebellious sin and your idolatrous heart of stone - Repent! 

    Turn back to Jesus and let Him transform you as He did me and my household! If you wait too long, you will get pulled up by the roots and tossed out to die a spiritual death in fire. Don't continue on this path of justifying your sin. The LORD is delaying His return for your sake, He wants no one to perish, but all to repent and follow Him (2 Peter 3:9). However, like with myself and my turnip patch - He will not wait forever and the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus will return soon. Don't be the one who gets swept away with the wicked because you love your sexual immorality, your filthy media, your money, your idols, your ________. 

    It's not about becoming holier-than-thou or a religious legalistic Pharisee or joining a cult, it's about seeking righteousness - striving to live obedient to Christ (Matthew 6:33). It's about seeking the Lord in every part of your life (Acts 15:17), praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24)!  It's not about living a wonderful, happy, blessed life...it's about taking up your cross and following Christ (Luke 9:23). Don't worry about the rejection that will come from those in the church who are still weeds. Come out of Babylon and start your walk on that narrow way that leads to Jesus and the eternal salvation He promises.

Be a turnip. 

  24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but, while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But, when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'And enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age."

- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

- Galatians 5:22-23

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5:3-12

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ Who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created Him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

- Colossians 3:1-17