We live in very different days from those most of us grew up in and the battle in our nation is now firmly at the door of Government, and coming from many different directions! I believe it is a time to be asking God for revelation but we also need information.

It is very easy to rise to the challenges of the immediate and the obvious, and ignore a wider perspective. If you are in business, you might refer to deciding between the urgent and the important.

Many of us have concepts about Marxism and communism without any hard facts, so this is a very brief blog, to provide some basic information.

The scriptures speak a great deal about money, and as I researched the principles so that we can pray from God’s perspective, it occurred to me that you can make a case for socialism or capitalism as we have experienced them within our politics in the last years. In fact, we live in what can be referred to as a mixed economy.

In His Kingdom, God speaks of making money, using what we have to make a profit, (parable of the talents) and rejoicing with those to whom God gives wealth. He also speaks strongly of caring for those with genuine needs, respecting all individuals and paying workers fairly, plus so much more. All of this holds together with the Kingdom values of serving God not mammon, and having a generous spirit. I do not need to expand on all the relevant Kingdom values here.

However, any principles that come from the Word of God, are based on an absolute acceptance that there is a Higher Authority, the Sovereign Living God, revealed to us in Jesus.

Extreme socialism as taught by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels is different. It is an ideology, influenced by the work of a German philosopher, Hegel. It is focused on the concept that class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in Western society.

Marx divided people into two group, the wealthy capitalists and the workers, or proletariat, by how the two groups earned their living.

Marxism basic beliefs are: –

• Public ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange and common ownership rather than private ownership.
• He considered the working class to be a revolutionary class, universal in their character and suffering.
• Religion he referred to as “the sigh of the oppressed”

Some quotes of Karl Marx are:

“The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them”.

“Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries unite!”

“The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo”

“… want to sweep away everything that claims to be supernatural and superhuman, for the root of all untruth and lying is the pretention of the human and the natural to be superhuman and supernatural.”

Lenin: “Atheism is a natural and inseparable part of Marxism, of the theory and practice of scientific socialism”

While Marxism is an ideology based on Karl Marx’s ideas, communism can be called a political system, which is based on Marxist ideology.

In Marxist – Leninist Theory: religion is seen as a retarding human development; hence the introduction of state atheism.

Two world Systems.

Marx and Engels believed there were two economic world systems:

• Capitalism rooted in Feudalism
• Communism rooted in socialism (often through revolution)

Marx believed, capitalism was unsustainable: “as the contradictions of capitalism become greater, more intense, and less amenable to disguise, neither the state nor ideology can restrain the mass of the workers, white and blue collar, from recognizing their interests (becoming “class conscious”) and acting upon them.”

Marxists believe that as capitalist economies are unable to erase poverty out of their own nations and class division increases, capitalism would be overthrown and replaced by a socialist society. Through democratic planning, production would be directed to serving social needs instead of maximizing private profit. The final goal, toward which socialist society would constantly build, is that of “communism”.

This is a time of great opportunity for the Kingdom of God to come. God has spoken time and time again about His desire to move in our land.

It is a time to pray for revival and great awakening but also the economy, large city and rural estates, for social cohesion and for maturity amongst the younger generation, Prayer and action, must go together, for those who will work, for those who carry God’s solutions to be raised up…….

Every blessing Suzanne

NB: on a totally different note: in conversation last week with a friend the number 51 came up as significant to us both! 51 = 3 x 17.

17 is the number for complete victory! If you are still looking for personal victory, be encouraged! For the nation, God is still moving!! Blessings to you all.