Common Sense Reborn

What You Know Verses What You Do.

¹⁷If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17)

A little over two weeks ago, a good friend of mine brought the Vessel Training phone application to my attention. It is a great app that gives you a daily Bible verse, followed by an incredible breakdown of the verse. Fifteen days, fifteen lessons, and I have not read a single interpretation that I was not impressed with. This part of the daily “Trifecta” is called “Spirit”. I immediately built this into my daily rhythm and removed social media from my morning routines. Once I have my coffee made, I open the Vessel app, read the verse and breakdown, then move to “Soul”, where the app poses a thought-provoking question that relates to the lesson taught in “Spirit”. These questions are pretty decent and prompt you to share with the Vessel community and read other’s responses. The third part of the “Trifecta” is Body, as Vessel Training Co. believes in strengthening your Spirit, Soul, and Body on daily. The app helped get me back into a work-out routine, which I have only been doing for a week straight every evening. I do not have time to work-out in the morning, as I cannot get myself to wake up any earlier than 4 AM. Waking up at 4 (an hour I used to despise) allows me to pray, spend ten minutes on my Spirit and Soul, and then read another chapter of the New Testament. In my New Testament reading for 2026, I have finished the Gospel of Luke, and now a third of the way through the Apostle John’s account.

During the first week of using the Vessel app, the verse above was the daily verse, and the writers behind the app wrote a stark reminder of what this verse means. When we know the good that we should be doing, and we choose not to do it, we are sinning. Pairing this with my reading of the Gospels for about the tenth time in the last fifteen years, I had to sit down and write my thoughts out.

It is abundantly clear that most Christians, or those who proport to be a Christian, have never read the Bible. It is refreshing each time I read through the Gospels that I am reminded that I am not crazy, I know what I know. And I know what Jesus said. Jesus told us to provide food for the hungry, water to the thirsty; to welcome the stranger; to provide clothes to those in need; to provide medical aid to the sick; to visit those in prison (Matthew 25:35-36). Jesus repeatedly instructed us to provide to the poor and oppressed (Luke 4:18, 12:33) and He famously gave the world the Parable of the Good Samaritan to show what it meant to love your neighbor, even a neighbor who despises you and hates you (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus warns about wealth and money, stating that you cannot serve two masters: you cannot be enslaved to money and wealth and follow God (Matthew 6:24). Jesus warns us that we will be judged by how we treat the least among us.

And, yet, I look around at this “Christian” nation, and see that there is a large part that does none of the things listed above. They cheer on a government that is supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people. A government that continues to illegally kidnap and detain people because of the color of their skin. A government where the leader is openly offering bribes to try to buy votes in the upcoming elections. And when a musician uses his platform to stand up for what is right and say, “Free Palestine”, suddenly there is controversy over something that is common sense.

The real controversy is that there are fools that claim to be followers of Jesus Christ and take His name in vain so they can advance their cruel ideologies. For all the times I have read the Gospels, as much as I have sought and attempted to rationalize the hate coming out of a certain population, I cannot find it. Instead, over and over, I read about love and how I am to love everyone as my neighbor. I think the hardest thing for me to do is find a way to love my enemies right now. And I do not mean enemies like Russia or China. Or the criminal seeking to harm the innocent. I understand their evil. No, it’s these modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees that claim to be followers of Jesus, yet they support the killing of innocent children, promote violence world-wide, and still support the most anti-Christian president this country has ever seen.

Just earlier today, Pastor Benjamin Cremer shared this to his Instagram page: “Do you know what Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Francisco Franco, Benito Mussolini, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, Adolf Hilter, Jozef Tiso, Theodoros Pangalos, and Augusto Pinochet all have in common? They all used performative Christianity to pander to Christians to secure and maintain their power.”

I know what is right and I chose to constantly stand up for what is right. I will not be silent. These posts will continue until those that take my Lord’s name in vain are removed from their positions and dealt the hand of justice they deserve. Impeach Hegseth (let’s go Rep. Massie!). Impeach trump. Let’s get this country back to decency. The lackeys had their chance, and they failed much like they did the first time.

If you know what is right, and you continue to look the other way, don’t be surprised when Jesus says, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” That’s also taken straight from the Gospel of Matthew. These are not my words, rather the words from my God, my King, and the only one I pledge allegiance to.