Here are a few conversations inspired by our CrossClarity Printwear:

I was on the phone with a dear friend in the wee hours of the morning, telling her about my new T-shirt venture. I sent her various pictures of the designs via text. She was surprised and impressed. I asked her if she thought the "I Prefer Natural Relationships" T-shirt would be appropriate (not overly offensive) to wear to a family gathering. I asked the question because I have, as most families do, a few beloved relatives in my family who have chosen to be in "unnatural" (same sex) relationships. My friend thought it would be OK to wear the T-shirt and went on to explain why. Concerned that she missed the magnitude of the message on the shirt, I asked her did she read the Bible verse reference underneath the bold print. She said she did not. I asked her to look it up and read it. 

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. — Romans 1:26-27

Words can not fully express my friend's response. She was in total shock and almost speechless. She said, "Tony (repeatedly), I had no idea something like this was written in the Bible." She repeated this over and over. "I'm just blown away."

I talked for several minutes before she stopped me, saying that she was not hearing anything that I said. She was still dealing with the shock of what she read in the Bible. She said she had never-ever heard anything like this before on the same-sex issue, not even from her pastor.

I told her that is why it is so important to read and study the Bible for yourself. You cannot and should not rely on others to feed you the Word of God. I also made it crystal clear that those were not my words that she just read: "Natural relations for unnatural ones." It was the Word of God—believe it or not.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, as soon as you say something (anything) contrary about these unnatural relationships, even if it comes directly from the Bible, you are immediately labeled unloving, close-minded, judgmental, and self-righteous. However, that is not always the case. Love speaks the truth, even when it hurts.

For the next two-hours my cousin and I explored several intriguing verses in the Bible. She was "pumped." It was almost 4:00 am when I told her I have to get off the phone.

Our exchange is what I refer to as An "illegal" Bible Study because it happened spontaneously outside the normal days and times for the traditional Bible study. I love it. Praise God for more "illegal" Bible studies.

 

"I Am Church"

One day as I was minding my own business, I was politely informed by my darling 10-year old cousins, Ms. Emontee, that the message on the T-Shirt I was wearing was grammatically incorrect and that it did not make sense. My shirt read in bold type, "I Am Church." Under that statement, in smaller type it read, "A proud member in the body of Christ."

Ms. Emontee proceeded to inform me that "the church" IS A PLACE that people go to worship God. If you could have seen the smile on my face. I could not resist the door that she opened for me clarify. I took that opportunity to explain to her, as her grandfather carefully listened, that the Bible never defines or describes "the church" as a place or a building. I explained that the Bible always refers to "the church" as a group of people — a community of men, women, and children who sincerely believed in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

"Oh, I get it," she said. "The church is a group of people who go to church." I said, almost. The church is group of people who meet at a building. We call it church, but it is not the real church of God. She responded, "Oh, now I get it." "Now it makes sense."

Here is a question to consider as you read the following three verses: If the church were a building, how was it possible for it to meet or fit inside someone's house?

Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. — Romans 16:5

Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. — Colossians 4:15

The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. — 1Corinthians 16:19

If you replace the word church with people you will see what I mean. Defining the church as a building is illogical and it perpetuates a serious problem among the children of God and unbelievers. The church as a building or place is unbiblical, but that is another T-shirt.