God's finances (Part 1)

 BY Argie Simonis

Did you know that Jesus in His teachings spoke more about money and finances than about Heaven and hell combined?

His parables are presented in the Gospels, mainly of Matthew, Mark and Luke, with Luke taking the lead. The most well known are:

- The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:12–27)

- The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16–21)

- The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1–9)

- The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23–31)

- The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31)

Why, then, did Jesus place so much emphasis on money? The key is in His words here:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" Luke 16:10-11

Here the Lord is talking about money, which Ηe mentions as the least. God values people and people value money. When we adopt the values of God, then people take their true place and we see them in our hearts through the eyes of the Lord, as precious and important.

I will list some fundamental principles, which when applied will radically change the way we manage our finances and bring blessing and freedom to our lives.

The first big step toward financial blessing is recognizing that God is your source. As long as you believe that the ability and talents you have is what makes you prosperous, then you will find it very difficult to be faithful to this least that the Lord speaks in His parable. If you are in a hurry to think that you are self-made and that God did not give you wealth but you acquired it through hard work and sacrifice, I will say the following:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no ficklenss, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17 

The Lord is the source of all that you have. He is your creator who gave you life, He gave you all the wisdom and abilities you have, and He is the reason you were born into the most prosperous age in human history.

James tells us in his letter:

"But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20

Just as faith is dead without works, applying faith in financial prosperity without knowledge in managing the finances and the spiritual laws that govern it, this faith will be fruitless.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 2Cor. 9:8

Paul emphasizes here that when we are good stewards, when we help to meet the needs of others, the Lord will give us favor and provide us with abundance so that "may abound to every good work." The Church has taught on the principle of offering and the promised blessings of God based on the law of sowing and reaping, but I believe that this only touches the surface of what the Word of God teaches on finances. The spiritual side of stewarship must be complemented by the practical side.

Let me be more specific here and speak with an example. To be good stewards, we must be in agreement with God regarding the purpose of money:

"But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Deut. 8:18

The first thing we see here is that God does not rain money on us, but gives us the power to create wealth. This of course requires action on the part of the administrator. There are some practical things we need to do here, in the now, if we want to see financial success.

God wants you to prosper more than you want to. As long as you honor God with your finances and apply His own principles, your life will change, you will gain financial freedom and you will be able to be a blessing to many others.

It is important that the spiritual and the practical must work together in order for you to experience true abundance.

It is equally important to realize that the money you have does not belong to you:

"The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Psalms 24:1

You are a steward of what the Lord has entrusted to you. He geve you talents and abilities. He blessed you with a job, gave you health and strength, made you find grace in front of other people, brought associates, customers and helpers on your way. The Lord has given you everything you need to prosper and it is up to you how you will manage the finances entrusted to you.

The mentality of the owner, to believe that what I have belongs to me, leads the person to try to do everything on his own and adds stress and worries to his daily life. The mindset of the stewart, however, liberates and helps us to receive God's blessings. These blessings are independent of our performance or whether we "deserve" them or not.

Abraham was not blessed for his business abilities, nor for his integrity, but because the Lord promised:

"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing:" Gen. 12:2

The blessing was not based on his performance, but on the grace of the Lord that made him rich. The Lord is your source and as Abraham did, you must recognize that the money you have belongs to the Lord. Only then will everything the Bible says about money and finances begin to work in your life. This will free you from the trap of being a slave to money and will open the horizons in front of you to experience a prosperity that you have never seen before.

Recognizing God as your source does not mean that you sit at home and do nothing. The Lord has done His part, He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Eph. 1: 3), but we must do our part as well. We must work and the Lord is the one who will bring the increase. This is where the law of sowing and reaping comes into play. As the Lord has given the land to the farmers to sow it, gives it rain and makes its harvest grow, gives him health and strength to be able to work, the same way His blessing prosperes us and the foundation of this prosperity is to see yourself as the steward of the Lord's property!

Υour finances are the least you can put your faith in the Lord. If you can not trust God with your finances, how will you be able to trust Him with your life?

I hope you were blessed with this message, which is just the tip of the iceberg. It will be followed by a deeper study on the subject, as well as practical applications that comes with the theory.

Blessings and miracles

  BY Argie Simonis

We believe in an almighty God of miracles, but did you know that God's original plan was not to meet our needs through miracles?

Let me explain, before I get misunderstood:

Miracle is defined as the suspension or transgression of natural laws, and personally my wife and I have received many miracles from the Lord. I believe that the Lord works miracles and uses them as a magnet to draw people to Him.

Just think about this: Would you rather receive a miracle of healing or live constantly in the blessing of good health? Would you rather have the Lord do a miracle to get you out of bankruptcy or be so blessed financially that there would be no need for intervention?

It is always better to avoid problems, which are the result of living in the blessing of the Lord, than to be freed from them through a miracle!

Take a look at the three main differences between blessings and miracles:

- Blessings act preventively and protectively. They prevent crises, while miracles free from crises.

- Second, blessing is always greater in abundance than a miracle.

- And third, miracles offer a temporary solution, while blessings are permanent. Therefore, if you live from miracle to miracle, it probably means that you live from crisis to crisis!

God's original plan was for His creation to work under constant blessing. If sin had not corrupted God's creation, miracles would not have been needed. Everyone would be healthy, everyone would prosper and there would be no wars or conflicts. Unfortunately, there is corruption on earth, so there will be a need for miracles.

Praise be to God that our Christ not only forgave our sins, but took upon Himself every curse and blessed us with every heavenly blessing:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Eph. 1:3

"... let God be true, but every man a liar". Rom. 3:4

So if we believe what God says about us, that we are blessed, and walk on this revelation, we can avoid many of the problems that make us candidates for miracles.

To go beyond theory, let's look at a practical example:

You may know that God loves you and you are praying for a financial miracle. We have said that the miracle goes beyond the laws of nature, but if you are ignorant of the spiritual laws that God has set, you will not see the result you hope for.

In the Word of God we read:

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." 2Thes. 3:10

"The LORD shall open to you his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain to your land in his season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, and you shall not borrow." Deut. 28:12

"Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete with it shall be measured to you again." Luke 6:38

In short, the above three verses tell us that if you are unemployed and not looking for a job, if you are lazy and do not put your hands on something for the Lord to bless it and if you have not learned to give so that you will  be given, what kind of miracle are you waiting to see? When we disobey His commands either out of ignorance or because we do not trust in His promises, it is an obstacle to receiving the blessings the Lord has spoken in our lives.

Because miracles go beyond the natural, they are never permanent. The Lord created physical laws that govern the function of His creation. Sometimes, temporarily, it exceeds them, but always returns the state to the physical function of these laws.

For example, if we do not take care of our body health, if we eat unhealthy or do not exercise and get sick, we can receive a healing miracle. But if the root of the problem is not addressed, illness or disability will return and we will need another miracle.

But when we believe in God's Word and follow its instructions, it will teach us how to eat, exercise, and enjoy emotional health that works as medicine:

"A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones." Prov. 17:22

The Lord always prefers to keep us healthy through His blessing rather than healing us with a miracle. And, unlike miracles, once a blessing is received, nothing can stop it:

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he has blessed; and I cannot reverse it." Numbers 23:19-20

The only thing that can stop God's blessing in our lives is our unbelief! Balaam's curse could not stop the blessing that existed on the nation of Israel. The blessing received with faith will always prevail over the curse.

So what is God's blessing and how do we receive it?

First of all, blessing is not something tangible. God's blessing produces things, but it is not things:

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Gal. 3:14 

Abraham's blessing came upon us through faith in Christ, and blessing is not the things Abraham possessed. Who wants Abraham's animals that have been dead for four thousand years? Or his tents and clothes? What you want is God's favor upon him, which produced all this physical and spiritual abundance in his life.

This is the blessing of God. It is the divine Grace that has been spoken to us. And when we apply faith in this blessing, then we will experience this abundance in all areas of our lives.

The good news is that we are already blessed. The bad thing is that most people do not know the power of this blessing. I hope this message blesses you and helps you change your prayer, so that instead of asking God for a miracle, start asking Him to show you how to walk in a constant blessing.

Never give up!

   BY Argie Simonis

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32

This is basically the same thing that happened to Job in the Old Testament (Job 1:8 and 12).

Jesus prayed for Peter not to lose his faith. The fact that Peter finally denied the Lord three times seems to indicate that Jesus' prayer did not work. And yet, losing a battle does not mean we have lost the war. Later we see Peter repenting and of course the Lord forgave him. God does not see us as failures, but as apprentices and has the ability to turn our worst failure into a blessing:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28

It is also important that Jesus instruct Peter to return to the ministry after repenting of his denial. If Jesus had not given this command to Peter, many would have questioned whether Peter should have been in a position of leadership. Peter himself may have doubted whether he was fit or not, but the Lord himself confirmed it:

"So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs.

He said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my sheep. 

He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Love you me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep." John 21:15-17

The Bible tells us that Peter continued to fulfill the Lord's command and was so effective in his ministry that Paul called him a pillar of the church! (Gal. 2:9).

So never let a failure discourage you or stop you from what the Lord has called you to do! And never forget His promises:

"...but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." 1Cor. 10:13

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

Amen!

Faith is based on revelation knowledge

  BY Argie Simonis

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

According as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue:" 2Pet. 1:2-3

What Peter is telling us here overturns the traditional practice of praying to God to give us peace, emphasizing that peace is directly related to the knowledge and revelation we have in His Word.

How much peace would you have to make a dangerous overtaking with your car without having visibility but also not knowing what is coming behind the turn?

The same goes concerning  our fellowship with the Lord. When we are close to Him, the knowledge and wisdom He gives to us drives away all fear and anxiety and thus His peace comes to our hearts, regardless of what is happening around us.

Peter tells us that everything we need comes from the knowledge of God. The actual greek word that is used here is "epignosis" which means revelation knowledge, or deep knowledge. This includes faith. This is because Jesus has already given us everything we could ever need from the moment we got born-again. We do not need anything new. We just need a revelation of what we already have in Christ. Faith is the fruit of the Spirit that dwells in us (Gal. 5: 22-23). The Spirit of life and Resurrection already lives in us (Ephesians 1: 19-20). We do not need extra strength. We just need to recognize what we have and then learn how to use it:

"That the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 1:6

There are two main reasons why many people find it difficult to function in faith. Either because they do not know the Word of God, or they have allowed the knowledge of the world to choke the Word of God within them. Just as faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), the same way fear comes through hearing the world. So the problem is not a lack of faith, but rather a lack of the knowledge of God.

Have you ever seen an orange tree being forced to produce oranges? It is its nature to produce oranges and as long as it is in a well-protected environment with the right fertilizer, it will definitely bear fruit. The same thing happens with us. Faith will be the fruit of our fellowship with the Lord and with the knowledge of His Word which is Jesus:

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me." John 15:4

I believe one of the reasons that the first humans that walk the earth lived for over 900 years is because they did not know how to die. They did not know that seasonal flu comes every year and that it was normal to be sick at that time. It took the devil many years to implant such thoughts in the human mind. We could have avoided many pointless battles if we could be wise in good, and simple in evil, as Paul tells us (Rom. 16:19).

Our mind is like a computer. It acts on the information with which we supply it. The wisdom of the world brings fear, but the wisdom of God brings faith, which is why Paul gives so much importance to the renewal of our mind through the Word of God:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

There are many who try to ridicule the message of the faith we preach. I have heard the expression "If God intended man to fly, He would give him wings". 

Of course, we now know that this has been proven wrong.

The laws of aerodynamics have existed since Creation, but man did not know them until recently.

It was not God who prevented us from flying, it was our ignorance of the laws that govern flight. We have all been given the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3), but God's people are lost because they do not know how that faith works.

I wish this message spoke to your heart. I will close with Paul's beautiful prayer:

"Μay the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all." Eph. 1:17-23

Amen!

Guardian angels

  BY Argie Simonis

"Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say to you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Μat. 18:10

We have angels appointed to protect us.

In Hebrews we read that their purpose is to serve us:

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Heb. 1:14

All angels have been commissioned by God to minister to those who WILL be heirs of salvation. This means that the assignment of angels to us does not begin after we are saved. They serve us even when we are lost in the world, because the Lord knows that WE WILL BECOME followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God!

David gives a very nice description in his psalm:

"Because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, your habitation;

There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread on the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet." Psalm 91:9-13

Some who have realized this truth have gone even further by saying that we are supposed to speak to our angels and they will obey our commands, when there is no reference or instruction in the Bible for such a thing.

Many of the guardian angels' protective duties described in Psalm 91 are preventive, and we certainly could not order these activities effectively, for only the Lord has omniscience.

What angels really do is that are send  exactly as Matthew describes in Mat. 18:10:Looking at the Father's face. 

Almighty God controls them for us. Psalm 91 is the key that reveals to us our role in this story and who ultimately benefits from this angelic activity:

"He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

And David continues:

"I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." Psalm 91:2

It is the combination of our faith in God and His faithfulness that releases the angels on our behalf.We have to receive God's grace by faith

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Eph. 2:8

The more we seek the Lord, the more we become aware of recognizing His angelic spirits created to serve us. The more we express our faith in this area, He will send His angels on our behalf.

"The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them." Psalm 34:7

Amen!

Prophecy about Russia and the end times

 BY Argie Simonis

Recent events and developments with the Russian invasion of Ukraine are very alerting and causing worry to the whole world. Here we will try to put some light on this matter through the Word of God, in order to avoid misinterpretations and misunderstandings regarding prophecies about Russia and the end times. 

Let's see what Ezekiel describes:

"And say, Thus said the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

And I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:" Ezekiel 38:3-4

Magog, Meshech, and Tuval were all sons of Japheth (Genesis 10: 2)

Although there is no total agreement among scholars, most believe that Gog (Magog), Meshech and Tubal are the ancestors of the Russians and other groups living in the former Soviet Union.

"And you shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn your hand on the desolate places that are now inhabited, and on the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the middle of the land." Ezekiel 38:11-12

He will have plans to attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people, that is, Israel (verses 11, 14 and 18). But regardless of Gog's plans, the Lord God is against him and will defeat him (Ezekiel 38: 4, 19-23; 39: 3-5).

The Meshech region is often identified as the northern Black Sea (southern Russia and Ukraine and possibly the Republic of Georgia) and Tubal as the region in central Turkey.

"Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

My soul has long dwelled with him that hates peace." Psalm 120:5-6

Ezekiel repeats the words of God's judgment against the descendants of Japheth's two sons when he prophesies that God will defeat them in a war against Israel (Ezekiel 39: 1-5).

Many Bible scholars identify the land of Gog in Ezekiel's prophecies with Russia, which will attack Israel "from the far north" (Ezekiel 38:15). Meshech and Tubal could be two of the "many nations" united with Russia in its invasion of Israel.

"Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with you." Ezekiel 38:5-6

This is a strange alliance that seemed impossible to Ezekiel and anyone in his day. But today, Russia, Persia (now Iraq and Iran), Ethiopia and Libya all share the same political beliefs. It is not unlikely to see them in alliance.

In Ezekiel's prophecy, Gog will be the leader of a large army that attacks the land of Israel. Gog is described as "from the land of Magog, prince of Ross, Meshech, and Thuval" (Ezekiel 38: 2-3). The battle of Ezekiel of Gog and Magog takes place in the period of tribulation, more specifically in the first 3 1/2 years. The strongest evidence for this view is that the attack will come when Israel is at peace (Ezekiel 38: 8, 11).

Ezekiel describes a nation that has security and has lowered its defenses. Israel is certainly not at peace now, and it is inconceivable for the nation to abandon its defenses unless something very important happens. When Israel's covenant with the beast (antichrist) is in effect at the beginning of Daniel's 70th week (also known as the 7-year tribulation, Daniel 9: 27a), Israel will be at peace. The battle will probably take place shortly before the middle of seven years.

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea." Rev. 20:7-8

There is an explanation why the devil is loosed for a while. To separate wheat from tares:

"Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did not you sow good seed in your field? from where then has it tares?

He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Will you then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." Mat. 13:24-30

Satan will deceive again all those who have not received love for the truth:

"And with all delusion of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2Thes. 2:10-12

and they will rebel in this perfect kingdom of Christ and be lost in the battle described in Revelation 20: 8-9.

According to Ezekiel, Gog will be defeated by God himself in the mountains of Israel. The slaughter will be so great that it will take seven months for all the dead to be buried (Ezekiel 39: 11-12).

So, yes, the Bible mentions Russia, though not by name, in reference to the end times. Ezekiel 38-39 refers to a nation coming from North Asia to attack Israel. After the Cold War, Russia lost ground as a superpower, making the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy seem unlikely to some.

However, recent events have shown that Russia is growing stronger and many believe that the invasion of Ukraine is just a first step in Russia's plan to restore its sovereignty in this hemisphere. It is also interesting to note that, in Soviet times, Moscow was firmly aligned with many muslim countries as opposed to Israel. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia has continued to reach out to the muslim world.

It is important to recognize that Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39 are quite different from those in Revelation 20: 7-8. Below are some of the most obvious reasons why they refer to different people and battles.

1. In the battle of Ezekiel 38-39, the armies come mainly from the north and involve only a few nations of the earth (Ezekiel 38: 6, 15; 39: 2). The battle in Revelation 20: 7-9 will involve all nations, so armies will come from all directions, not just from the north.

2. Satan is not mentioned in the description of Ezekiel 38-39. Revelation 20: 7 clearly places the battle at the end of the millennium with Satan as the protagonist. The millennium is a kingdom without the devil deceiving people and I am sure it will be the best years this world has ever seen.

3. Ezekiel 39: 11-12 states that the dead will be buried for seven months. There would be no need to bury the dead if the battle at Ezekiel 38-39 is as described in Revelation 20: 8-9, because immediately after Revelation 20: 8-9 is the judgment of the Great White Throne (20: 11-15) and then the present heaven and earth are destroyed, replaced by a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21: 1).

The dead will obviously have to be buried if the battle takes place in the first part of the tribulation, because the land of Israel will be occupied for another 1,000 years, as long as the millennial reign lasts (Revelation 20: 4-6).

4. The battle in Ezekiel 38-39 is used by God to bring Israel back to Him (Ezekiel 39: 21-29). In Revelation 20, Israel has been faithful to God for 1,000 years (the millennial kingdom). Those who rebel against God in Revelation 20: 7-10 are destroyed without any other opportunity for repentance.

There is much we do not know for sure about Ezekiel's prophecy, including the timing of these events. However, it is clear that Russia will be involved and in fact will lead an alliance of nations to occupy Israel. The prophet Ezekiel comforts Israel in much the same way as Moses did centuries ago:

"For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." Deut. 20:4

Amen!