Pastor Andre Johnson leaves a spiritual impact on faculty and students, with four persons baptized during Spring Week of Prayer 2023 at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) which commenced on Friday, January 27 to Sabbath February 4, 2023.
Pastor Johnson, Personal Ministries Director and Assistant to the President for Evangelism at the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, presented consistent messages on overcoming hardships of university life as he spoke under the theme “Defying the Odds”.
The NCU alumnus weaved his personal struggles during his time as a university student into all his sermons and related them to the goodness of God. Pastor Johnson intertwined the current struggles faced by students with Biblical examples in a comprehensive, engaging and creative way.
The nine-day prayer week featured a total of ten sermons that delivered messages of standing your ground as a Christian, overcoming challenges, waiting on God’s blessings, returning to God what is His and being true servants of God.
Friday evening kickstarted the Week of Prayer under the topic “God of Odds”. Focusing on the creation story in the book of Genesis, Johnson posited that we serve a God that has faced challenges and defied the odds and thus He can carry us through.
Sabbath morning’s sermon was titled “Breaking Diving Sanctions” where Johnson cautioned his audience on the importance of keeping sanctions with God, “We serve a God that says what He means and means what he says”, he stated. He further added that when we seem to be drifting from God, our first instinct should not be to blame God but to look into ourselves. According to Johnson, God does not make promises or give out blessings without conditions; God’s conditions are simple, study his word and serve Him. He advises that despite our shortcomings, through God’s goodness, “there is still a way out even if you have broken divine sanctions.”
On Sunday, Pastor Johnson explored the topic of “Breaking Strongholds”. The focus of the message was to break habits that hinder our relationship with God, “You are making your soul a stronghold for demons when you put other things before your time with God”, Johnson stated.
Monday’s topic “Special Favours for Special Needs” reiterated the fact that we serve an on-time God who will be there in our times of need.
Johnson urged his audience to cry out to God when they are in their times of distress in Tuesday’s topic “Cry Out”.
The Winner’s Attitude through the Valley of Shadows
Wednesday, February 1, marked a turning point in the week of prayer with a dual service held at 2 pm and 7 pm, which featured a baptism service and bonfire, respectively. “The Winner’s Attitude” was the topic Pastor Johnson spoke about as a prelude to the baptism. Johnson used the analogy of a baby learning to walk to highlight how God and humans work together. Learning how to walk is a process that takes time and determination, it is a process where you will fall many times and get hurt, but as the speaker stated, “sometimes we need a hard foundation to make it”.
Quoting the scripture “The righteous man falls seven times” Proverbs 24:16, Pastor Johnson encouraged his audience not to let the fear of falling keep them from walking. Furthermore, he added that though we may fail in our personal, spiritual and academic life, we must have a positive attitude to life and the determination to move forward.
“I cannot afford to go back to where I am coming from because I have tomorrow to look for. I have to keep focus on what I want tomorrow to look like,” he stated.
Jolene Walters, the sole candidate for baptism on Wednesday afternoon and the grandniece of NCU President, Dr Edwards, described the experience as an emotional one. However, three other students were baptized on Saturday, February 4, to conclude the Spring Week of Prayer 2023.
The evening segment focused on the topic “Valley of Death’s Shadows” where Johnson recounted his experience with loved ones and close friends who died without giving their lives to God. The night ended with the students and workers present writing their sinful ways and ‘evil habits’ on pieces of paper and burning them in a bonfire outside the gym.
A Reflective Conclusion
“You Can Get It” was the topic for Thursday night where he presented on the importance of having an attitude of gratefulness towards the God who carried us through red seas and different trials and tribulations.
Friday’s topic of “Amazing Grace” reminded the audience that God’s grace is not something we deserve and that’s what makes it amazing.
The Week of Prayer concluded with a Sabbath Service where Pastor Johnson delivered a timely reminder through the topic “How Long?”Johnson discussed human nature and how humans are always tempted to follow the influence of others.
Through his relatable and power packed sermons, Pastor Andre Johnson inspired students, whether Christian or non-Christians, to be reflective with their actions as children of God. One prominent call of action that he left with the students was, “Redeem yourselves before you graduate with the devil”.
The Spring Week of Prayer was live streamed on the NCU TV Jamaica and the Northern Caribbean University YouTube channels. The link for the sermons can be accessed below:
Spring Week of Prayer 2023 Playlist
Written by Zania McNish | CCMPR
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