The Christian Migrant Network

DO YOU KNOW THE PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE?

DO YOU KNOW THE PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE?
Luke 2:46–49
If you are asked what do you think is your purpose in this life, can you tell me? Or to put it in another way, are you living your purpose? If your answer is yes, how does it feel to be living each day and finding joy, peace and fulfillment in your life? If your answer is no, have you tried to find out why the unfulfillment and dissatisfaction you feel?
In his book ‘In Pursuit of Purpose’, Dr. Myles Munroe taught that every man is driven by five fundamental questions crucial for discovering purpose and achieving success. The questions are Who am I? (Identity), Where am I from? (Origin), Why am I here? (Purpose), What can I do? (Ability), and Where am I going? (Destiny). He said further that, answering these questions secures a life of impact and fulfillment. Brethren, not many of us even question about their purpose or why they exist. We feel that dissatisfaction in our hearts each day but we just brush it aside or ignore it. In today's message Pastor Franklin encourages is to have an "I must" mindset inorder to pursue our purpose in this life. I pray that the Holy Spirit through this message will stair in you a hunger for seeking the Kingdom of God first, and your purpose as a child of God.
Shalom and Peace to you.
 

KEY TO LIVING THE RIGHT LIFE

KEYS TO LIVING THE RIGHT LIFE
Psalm 34
The right life or living right is life anchored in Jesus Christ. We all need to grow firmly in our faith life this year 2026. You cannot afford to lean or depend on people or economic systems because they can fail you. What you need most is to lean firmly on the word of God and pray more and in the Spirit. A life of praise and prayer was all David knew to do. That is why he was able to overcome many challenges in his life. David always overlooked the odds. Like acting as a Priest when he was officially or ceremonially not one. He had fear for God and will always humble himself before God. God was his rock, anchore, shield, deliver and shepherd. I pray that this message from Pastor Franklin, will encourage you as we begin a new Month and Week.
Shalom and Peace to you.

WHAT ARE YOU ANCHORED TO?

WHAT ARE YOU ANCHORED TO?
1 Samuel 30: 1-20
A brother in the faith whom I led to rededicate his life back to Jesus told me this testimony about his family. He said they were two boys, raised by their single mum; who was a successful business trader. While growing up, they lacked nothing. He went to school accompanied by 3 cars. During break times his food will be brought from the house freshly cooked. He was famous in school and neighborhood because he always shared food with friends.
He said, one afternoon when he returned from school he noticed a huge crowd gathered in front of mum’s shop and warehouse. His mother was also sitting on the flour weeping uncontrollably. Then he noticed the shop and warehouse had been guttered by fire, together with his mum’s car which was packed in front of the shop.
He said, I was just a little boy and didn’t understand anything, but I noticed after that incident, everything started going down for the family. We were living in a 6-bedroom house, but suddenly we moved to a 2-bedroom house. All the remaining cars were sold and I had to join public transport to school. My mum had to sell a lot of personal things she owned. Later, my mum sent me to live with an auntie, and traveled to the USA.
When I grew up I asked my mum about the incident and during her narration she said. “That day when fire guttered the shop and the warehouse, I had just received new stocks of goods. My supplier had promised to buy a brand-new car for me if I am able to pay back the delivered goods on time. Because of this I took a bank overdraft from my bankers. Unfortunately, all the cash from the bank, together with my sales for a period were in the shop that day. I was ready to pay my supplier. When you returned from school and I saw you. I couldn’t hold myself because I was thinking about how to keep providing for you and your brother. I had to sell everything in order to pay all my suppliers who kept pursuing me”.
Brothers and sisters, one of these days, I will invite this Christian brother of mine to come share a lot of personal life experiences with us. When I listened to some of his stories, I knew and believe that God has a greater purpose for this brother. He is a chosen vessel of God.
I want to find out from you, what are you anchored to? Or to put it in another way, whom are you leaning on or relying on? Let me give you some examples here to refresh your mind of things and people that many of us are anchored to.
Job, Career, or Business,
Money, properties, insurance policies or other financial securities
Marriage, spouse, children or family, friends and other relationships
The government systems or policies to protect your interest
The religious group, societies or associations you belong to
Maybe you have not experienced any tragedy in life that will let you begin to rethink about life, why you exist and where you go after this life. I have come to remind you that there is more to life than you think. Therefore, what and whom you are anchored to is very important.
From the scriptures that we read from 1 Samuel 30, we could clearly tell in whom King David’s life was firmly "anchored". It was in his spiritual relationship with God. That is why after weeping, he inquired of the Lord.
We want to learn some of David's key scriptural pillars: 
The Promises and Character of God:David anchored his faith in the unchanging nature and word of God. Even in his darkest moments, he relied on God’s previous faithfulness.
"But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6).
"I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation" (Psalm 133:5).
The Davidic Covenant:David was anchored by a specific, eternal promise from God that his lineage and kingdom would endure forever—a promise ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
"Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16).
"The Lord has sworn an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: 'One of your descendants I will place on your throne'" (Psalm 132:11).
God as a Physical and Spiritual Refuge:David frequently used metaphors of stability—like a rock, fortress, or shield—to describe how he was "anchored" during literal life-and-death battles.
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield..." (Psalm 18:2).
"But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head" (Psalm 3:3).
Constant Prayer and Worship:David maintained his foundation through a "Godward reflex," using music and prayer to stay connected to his Maker.
"I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34:1).
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" (Psalm 139:23). 
 
Shalom and Peace to you.
 

After the Fast, What Next? Be Thankful

AFTER THE FAST, WHAT NEXT? BE THANKFUL
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16–22, 24 (ESV)
In verse 24 of the scripture we just read it says “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it”. Did God call you to fast? Did you obey this call? If your answer to these questions are ‘Yes’, then know that this verse is a promise for those who responded to His call. So, what happens next after the fast?
It is important to note that our breakthroughs might not all come at once, even though it is also possible that we can all experience it at the same time. Nothing is impossible for God. Like in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit filled all those who were in the Upper Room. However, what if I do not experience my breakthrough immediately, what do I do? Continue to be thankful. As Paul tells us in our scripture today; rejoice, continue praying and give thanks. Even for those who received or will receive their breakthroughs instantly or immediately after the fast, this same text applies to us. God is not done yet, therefore, you don’t want to ‘quench the Spirit’ which God has ignited in you. “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 (NKJV)).
Be led by the Spirit of God. If you feel the spirit leading you to continue with extra days of fasting, obey the Spirit. I recall in 2022 when I was challenged by the Spirit to join a 70-days corporate fast by Potter’s City in Ghana (which I had been avoiding for weeks). After the general fast, I was led to continue for some extra days which I obeyed. It was during that period that the gift of speaking in tongues was unleashed within me. I was so much on fire that I could spend hours before God’s presence; worshipping and praising Him, and not desire anything else. It took days before I felt calm. It was also around that same period that my wilderness journey started. My choices and decisions seemed unreasonable to people around me and they couldn’t help me but condemn me. “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25). God was up to something new in my life, and it was just my brother-in-law (who is a Pastor) and my sister – Monica, together with my wife’s auntie – Tina, who saw it and will call to encourage me in the Lord.
Brethren, keep thanking God even when you have not seen anything shift. “Blessed are those who have not seen, and have yet believed” (John 20:29). God might even take some of you to a different level in your spiritual life like He did to me before unleashing his blessing. Remember, precious metals like gold are tested by fire. Therefore, continue being thankful and praise Him anytime. Listen to gospel tunes to keep your spirit man on fire, read or pray the Psalms always and speak the promises of God daily over your life and the situation. Remember God’s promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:8).
Shalom.

LEAVE NO ROOM FOR GIANTS IN YOUR WAY

LEAVE NO ROOM FOR GIANTS IN YOUR WAY
1 Samuel 16
When you fail to defeat the giants in your life, they pop up again. The story of David defeating Goliath is a popular story that we all know. Goliath stands of systems, beaurocratic policies, economies, generational family or individual problems, that stand in our way of success or taking dominion. As a child of God, note that, these giants will pop up in your way at a point in time. Therefore it is better for you to build the kind of faith David had in God and covernanted with God. Note also that when David was old, he had to face other giants from Goliath's family (2 Samuel 21:15-22). They were alive and he did not know. Telling us, some giant's can pop up in life again, therefore trust God to deal with every situation to it's roots so that they don't show up again. Let us now listen to Bishop Joseph Mattera with today's message.
Shalom and Peace to you.

AFTER THE FAST: WATCH OUT FOR THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS

AFTER THE FAST: WATCH OUT FOR THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS
Matthew 4
The devil tempted Jesus after the fast and not during the fast? It was a vulnerable moment for Jesus because after 40 day He was certainly hungry? The question we need to ask ourselves is, do we know where our vulnerabilities exist?
Romans 13:14 (ESV): “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”.
Jesus could have easily turned the stones into bread to eat because He was God. But that was not the most important thing for him. What was important was to teach us how to lean on God and look up to Him for our supplies. To put it simply, Jesus came as man to teach us how to survive and depend on our heavenly Father.
Jesus was tempted with pride on the second temptation. We normally fall because as humans we want to be liked, appreciated, loved, noticed, etc. Our generation has even worsened the situation through social media likes. That is so far the easiest way many of us are falling as Christians.
The devil quoted scriptures to Jesus, telling us that, we need to be discerning anytime people walk to us quoting the bible. It really doesn’t mean they are Christians, so let us be watchful.
The last temptation of Jesus was about the lust of the eyes. The devil wanted Jesus’ worship and so does he want you and me our worship.
1 John 2:16 (ESV): “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world”.
All temptations fall under one of these three temptations.
What was the need or purpose for God to allow Jesus to go through all these temptations? Romans 5:19 (ESV): “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous”.
The reason this temptation was necessary is because it demonstrated the Lord's readiness and ability to come and be the representative we needed Adam to be in the first place but who failed. Adam came as our corporate representative for mankind and he failed and we all reaped his failure.

After the Fast, What Next? Give and Be Generous

AFTER THE FAST, WHAT NEXT? GIVE AND BE GENEROUS
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Who among us can out give God? Who among us can do what Abraham did for God to swear by Himself when he said in Genesis 22:16–18 (ESV) “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice”.
Many of us keep struggling financially because we see God’s hand to be too short to blesses us back when we give. Sometimes I ask myself, why do churches engage in auctioning during harvest or day-born group offerings on specific periods just to raise funds for projects in God’s house. We make Pastors and Priests suffer by begging us to give just for projects in God’s house. Interesting enough when we see others give and are being blessed by the Pastors or Priest we become jealous and begin to talk behind them. “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).
In Acts 2:45 (NIV), we read that “They (believers) sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need”. And because they did this, God’s grace was so powerful at work in them all and there was no needy person among them (Acts 4:34). May God touch of hearts to be generous towards our family members, the church, and the needy in society.
Again, in Isaiah 58:3, the people ask God “Why have we fasted and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves and you have not noticed?” God respond to them in verse 7, “Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.  Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help”. Have you ever experienced that anytime the Spirit of God prompts you to give or support someone and you don’t you turn to lose the money or spend it unwisely? Well, I have experienced that several times and sometimes I ask myself where did the money go.
A Pastor friend once shared with them that he was prompted by the Spirit of God to donate their flat screen television to another Pastor friend who needed it badly for ministry work. He said “when I told my wife about it she said no way, she also has to hear from God first”. My friend said he never spoke about it again until two weeks later when there was a heavy storm, and thunder struck the TV down. He said when they took it to the repairer, they noticed every component in it was burnt beyond repair. Psalm 62:10–12 (NKJV) tells us “If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work”.
Shalom.

After the Fast, What Next? Forgive and Let Go Offenses

AFTER THE FAST, WHAT NEXT? FORGIVE AND LET GO OFFENSES
“And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”
Mark 11:25
On Wednesday, May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Agca pulled a gun and shot Pope John Paul II during a procession in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Italy. Though critically wounded, the Pope survived four gunshot wounds to his abdomen. Following the shooting, Pope John Paul II asked people to “pray for my brother…whom I have sincerely forgiven”.
The Pope visited Agca in a Rome prison on Dec. 27, 1983. Their meeting came two years after Agca was arrested for shooting the pontiff in St. Peter's Square. During the visit the Pope went with him a photographer and cameramen. His reason was “he wanted the image in that cell to be shown around a world filled with unforgiving hatreds, with hostile superpowers, and smaller, implacable fanaticism”.
In 2000, Italy pardoned Agca and returned him to his homeland, Turkey upon request by the Pope. He was further jailed in Turkey for other offenses and released from prison on January 18, 2010, after almost 29 years behind bars. In 2014 we are told Agca, visited John Paul II’s tomb and placed flowers on it. While in prison in 2007, Mehmet Ali Agca converted to Christianity.
Brethren, we have no idea what forgiveness can do to us and especially those who offend us. You have every right to hold on to that offense, oh yes, it’s a choice, but remember that God will also hold on to yours. I love the way The Message Bible puts Romans 12:20-21 “if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good”. Isn’t this lovely?
However, if you still choose to hold on to offenses, Jesus, in Matthew 12:44-45 tells the story of how a demon returns back to its former home with seven other demons much stronger than itself when it notices that the house is clean and unoccupied. In the same way unforgiveness opens the door for bitterness, envy, resentments, anger, rage and other deadly sins. Note that, during the fast we asked God to give us the grace to let go sins we have been holding on to. If God took away those burdens, then do not count them and continue to forgive anyone who offends you. As a child of God, you need to come to that level where offenses don’t get to you.
Shalom.

AFTER THE FAST: WAIT UPON THE LORD

AFTER THE FAST: WAIT UPON THE LORD
Joshua 9:1-24, Isaiah 30
Sometimes it is good to lose some battles, to let you rethink life and consult God by praying and seeking His face. When you don’t consult God on many important decisions in your life, you run into problems and you later have to live the rest of your life regretting. Stop making intellectual and calculated decisions, be led by the Holy Spirit in making decisions. This is the message Pastor Franklin brings to us today. Enjoy every bit of this powerful message.

GET UP ONCE MORE

GET UP ONCE MORE
Micah 7:8
Everyone goes through ups and downs in life. There are moments that life knocks you down on your feet and everybody tells you, give up. But the encouragement we have in today's messge is that, you don't need to remain on the ground. Find courage, trust God, get up and continue with the journey of life. Staying down is defeat which the devil loves. But people with Proverbs 24:16 mentality find courage, clean up the mess and themselves, and start all over again. We all need the fighting back spirit to progress in life when we go through the valley. Because even in the valley, our God is still there with us. Let's listen to Pastor Franklin's message for today.
Shalom and Peace to you.