Jordan River – Johann Quisumbing

FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS – Part 014

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ANDREW THE FIRST DISCIPLE
30 AD Jordan River Valley

Feeling released, they ran to the spot where the man left the road. They found a trail and followed it up to the hill. They actually lost sight of him when they were at the foot of the hill. When they got to the top, the trail ended and there was no sign of him. They split up. Andrew jogged to the north side of the hill. When he got there, he scanned downed the hill and saw him. Andrew whistled for John who was some distance away. John quickly turned and started to run towards him. Meanwhile, he kept his eye on the man who may be the Messiah.

They decided not to dash after him but instead follow from a discrete distance. For a day, they trailed him going north skirting the Judean highlands into Samaritan territory. It was about the tenth hour, when they were going around a bend on the trail they were following, the man was waiting for them.

“What do you want?” he asked with no hint of mistrust in his voice.

“Rabbi,” asked Andrew. “Where are you staying?”

Then, the man laughed a little from amusement. “Come and see.”

They followed him to a farm house not too far from the river. The farmer was leading some animals to a pen when he saw them. He was quite happy to see the man.

“Blessings to this house, my friend,” said the man “Can we impose in your hospitality?”

“Of course, Jesus. You need not ask.” The farmer invited them into his house where his wife was already setting food for them.

When Andrew heard his name, he realised that Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves’ or ‘Yahweh is salvation’. A Jewish mother would not boldly name her child so, unless… unless an angel told her so.

That night, John asked him, “Rabbi, are you the Messiah?”

“What had John, the Baptist said?” asked Jesus.

Andrew and John told him what the Baptist shared. He smiled at that and said, “The answer you seek will have to come from what you believe. Faith is not blind. Come. Let us sleep. We leave for Galilee at first light.

The next day, the farmer hitch up a wagon and took them to the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was by good fortune than John found some fishermen and a boat that could ferry them to Bethsaida.

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Greeting friends…

I hope you are enjoying the 14th segment of my ebook, FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS.
Feel free to leave your comments below. I look forward to read your comments and constructive inputs that will help me direct my creative thoughts.

If you want to support my writing, please use my Go-Fund-Me site below.

Thank you.

Until the next post.

Johann Q.
Please help me go mobile, donate at or share this link to others: https://www.gofundme.com/quadriplegic-needs-mobility

FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS – Part 013

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ANDREW THE FIRST DISCIPLE
30 AD Jordan River Valley

“John… Are you awake?” Andrew asked.

“I am now,” he said amusingly. “I know what you are thinking. You want to leave here and search for him.”

“I have the feeling that you will argue that we don’t know what he looks like. We have no idea where to start to look for him.”

“Well… I have one idea,” John said. “We stay with the master because he knows who he is.”

“It will be hard to leave him, but I have a strange feeling we are suppose to.”

“I hope we find him soon or else our brothers will not be too happy we’re not back.”

Andrew laughed at that. “I guess we should speak to the master about returning up north before winter sets in. Simon will probably be grumpy if I, that is, we… don’t show up for Fall fishing.”

“I am sure your brother and James are killing each other as well as driving my father crazy over who is the better fisherman.”

They both laughed again. “We better get some sleep, Andrew. The morrow will be busy.”

Andrew was carrying some bundles into a tent. John was not far behind also carrying bundles. Then, another of the Baptist’s followers came to them and told them to meet the master by the road.

They found the Baptist talking to some soldiers belonging to Herod Antipas’ palace at Jerusalem.

“Do not extort money from your brethren or even from foreigners. Make no false accusations. And be content with your pay,” the Baptist instructed.

When he saw Andrew and John waiting, he dismissed the soldiers and a small crowd watching. Then, all three meandered toward the shade of a large tree to watch the foot traffic on the dusty road. For a long time, they just stood there looking at the passersby. John and Andrew looked at each other. John shrugged his shoulder. Then, the Baptist took a half step forward, like he saw someone he was looking for.

“Behold,” he said in a soft voice as he gestured with his hand. “…the Lamb of God!”

Both John and Andrew looked towards where he pointed. At first, they were not sure who among the foot traffic was the Baptist pointing at. Then, they noticed a lone individual garbed like what most Galileans wore. He just went off the road and started walking up a hill.

They both looked at each other, then they faced the Baptist.

“Go,” he said. “This is as it should be. Farewell.” Without saying another word, he walked away.

————————————————————–
Greeting friends…

I hope you are enjoying the 13th segment of my ebook, FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS.

Feel free to leave your comments below. I look forward to read your comments and constructive inputs that will help me direct my creative thoughts.

If you want to support my writing, please use my Go-Fund-Me site below.

Thank you.

Until the next post.

Johann Q.

Please help me go mobile, donate at or share this link to others: https://www.gofundme.com/quadriplegic-needs-mobility

FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS – Part 012

ANDREW THE FIRST DISCIPLE
30 AD Jordan River Valley

That night, Andrew and his friend John, son of Zebedee, brought the Baptist his evening meal.

“Master, when will the Messiah come?” asked John.

“He is already here!” he said. Andrew’s ears perked up at what was said. “You both didnot join me yet. It was more than a month ago. I was there at the river baptising people, when I noticed walking through the crowd the one person that I didnot ever expect to come to me for baptism.”

“Who was it, Master? Please…” asked Andrew eagerly.

“You have heard the tale of my birth, have you not? Of how an angel appeared to my father and told him of my coming as the one who will precede the promised Messiah? And of how I was miraculously born of parents who were old and barren?” Both he and John nodded. “Well, my birth was not the only birth that was extraordinary. Heed first this prophecy of Isaiah, ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son…’ [Isaiah 7:14 NLT]

“Six months before I was born, a young maiden was also visited by the same angel that appeared before my father. After the angel revealed what the Lord wanted her to know, she traveled a long distance to see my mother. From what my mother told me, it was a meeting of recognition but not between mothers but between me and him, though we were yet born. I was twelve years old when my aged told me this. She told me that the Holy Spirit had conceived in her the son of God. A month later, my mother joined my father in the bosom of Abraham and grew up the rest of my childhood with kin in Jerusalem.

“Of course, I thought I met him once. Though, I am not sure but there was this one boy I ran into during the Festival of Booths. We looked almost the same age. We passed each other but then our eyes locked for what seem like a longtime. It was like we have met before. Then, we lost sight of each other. For years, after that I left my kin and sought out the secretive society of the Essenes. I thought I’d never see him again but then last year, I had a vision of how to recognise the chosen one.”

“Master, tell us, how did you recognise him?”

“When he approached, it was like I knew him before. However, I was puzzled why he wanted to be baptized. I said to him that it should be I to be baptized by him. But his reply to me was that ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ So, I immersed him and when he came out, a dove landed on his shoulder. Then I heard an echoing voice from Heaven, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ * It was the vision I saw come to life. Then he smiled at me and left.”
[* Matthew 3:15,17 NIV]

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Greeting friends…

I hope you are enjoying the 12th segment of my ebook, FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS.

Feel free to leave your comments below. I look forward to read your comments and constructive inputs that will help me direct my creative thoughts.

If you want to support my writing, please use my Go-Fund-Me site below.

Thank you.

Until the next post.

Johann Q.

Please help me go mobile, donate at or share this link to others: https://www.gofundme.com/quadriplegic-needs-mobility