You can’t always get what you want.

News has just come out that Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs, Steve Harley, KT Tunstall and David Gray were among musicians who teamed up with British Members of Parliament and the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus to record a charity version of the song in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was assassinated in June this year.

You can get what you want, in contrast, is something that can be heard by preachers. Have you got a Ford but want a Bentley? That’s because you don’t pray hard enough. If you are faithful God will provide everything you want.

Let me say now that I not only disagree with such ideas, I oppose them. That is not the gospel that Jesus preached, nor that of the apostles. We are not promised wealth, but we are promised persecution. It is the lot of Christians to be persecuted, and many millions are living faithfully to God now whilst being persecuted. To say that people not having an easy life is a sign of lack of belief is an insult to the majority of faithful Christians. The so called prosperity Gospel is no Gospel at all.

Our Daily Bread

The Lord’s Prayer – Part 11

I try not to be negative in my blogs, preferring to stand for things rather than against them. But verses from the Bible I quoted in the last blog can be taken as proof texts for the so called prosperity Gospel.

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

These words come straight after the Lord’s Prayer, and the context is “Give us today our daily bread.” That is bread and daily, not caviar blinis for the next month. God’s promise to provide is for needs, not luxuries.  Thankfulness and praise is the response of those who rely on God for their needs, and those needs are met.

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