On Your Own
September 24, 2025
Ever feel like an orphan? Alone, without support, with no guidance, no direction? Early in my adolescence, I felt similar aches. It got pretty bad without any recognition by anyone of the need to help me, to intervene. In those days, you know, the only advice was, “He’ll grow out of it.
Never mind about my not knowing anything or about what anybody else might be going through… depression set in and one attempted suicide, ending in my becoming a social dropout…
However, when I eventually found out, if I allowed God to intervene in my life, that all would begin to change.
Further down the road, I was led to conclude that I was ultimately responsible for all the mess that my life had become. All the hurting and harm was my responsibility alone.
I was told that by simply turning to Jesus, accepting His gift of grace, I’d realize that I needed to accept His gift of forgiveness. And yes, Jesus forgave me in a very real way. I not only felt cleansed, but also had the joy of being accepted, adopted, and having a brand new start in life.
You Are the One Keith Green with Lyrics (4K)
While it is absolutely necessary first, to be born again — as Jesus explained to the Pharisee, Nicodemus, in the Gospel of John, chapter 3 — in this new birth, there is a new life’s path given to us, but it is a path upon which we need to walk.
So,there is the second simple step after receiving Jesus which is to be baptized into His name. So, for example, my surname, given by my parents at my birth, is no longer the same as the orphan, “Henderson,” but my adopted last name has become “Christian.”
The third step in the walk as a Christian: the Baptism into the Holy Spirit. This second baptism is so very important. As Jesus promised, All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. — John 14:25–26.
Now, I don’t want to make this a point of contention, but Jesus said, For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.” — Matthew 18:20, Amplified Bible.
Still, following in the same path as the Twelve Disciples recorded in The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, my suggestion is for our walk to include waiting together for the promise of the Holy Spirit being actually sent to us and for us to seek that promise’s fulfillment:…On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. — Acts 2:1–4.
My personal experience didn’t have either the windstorm or flames, and in fact not the foreign language, but it was dynamic, to say the least, and the glossolalia did come, although several months later. Still, the important part that Jesus promised did happen, which was the continual reminding of Jesus’ words… The opening of my understanding has continued to this day — covering over 50 years now. “Bit by bit. Line upon line.”
Here is an experience I had in one of the “Holy Ghost Services” our church had. It involved a close girlfriend of my wife.
The call came, “If anybody here wants to receive the Baptism into the Holy Spirit, please come forward.” The young woman responded and the Pastor laid his one hand on her and his other reaching toward God. He asked me to come up and participate by also laying my hand on her shoulder.
To my astonishment, there was a thick — and I mean thick — and almost visible presence enveloping her! She was visibly and palpably enrapt. I was surprised and slightly stunned. So, I instinctively removed my hand out of that thickness around her, and actually never touched her at all… but fell back down into my chair in awe.
If anyone tries to convince me that for some human reasoning “thare ain’t no sutcha thing” as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, they are wasting their time… and mine.
All the same, some Preachers and Believers sincerely have the understanding that at the very same time as one is born again, a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
That may very well be true.
On the other hand, just like during the Creation, the Holy Spirit may be remaining “hovering over the waters” — hovering above us and not yet indwelling us.
So, what I am suggesting is that the Holy Spirit is working from above, working on us to lead us to salvation in Christ, coming alongside to help us understand our fallen situation separated from God
Now, it is very true that the natural born sinful nature is replaced by a similar indwelling of the new supernatural godly nature, and because that new godly nature is so dynamic, refreshing, and wonderful, it seems like it is the Holy Spirit indwelling/.
Certainly, each one of us needs to pray about this, and not get turned, confused, or upset by my digression.
However, it is my conclusion that that born again experience is the new creation, the new character that is now inside — easily mistaken to be the Holy Spirit, because, I surmise, that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, having the nature of Three in One, are a whole lot alike in their nature — if not their individual function… easily mistaken one for the other.
Again, I am supposing that there might be different perspectives and/or experiences, but it is my experienced perspective that we should be taking the same path as the Twelve Disciples… While being together and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Of which,” He said, “you have heard Me speak. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.” — Acts 1:4–5, Amplified Bible (AMP).
But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. — Acts 1:8, AMP.
Thus, this added event is separate, empowering, real, and an effective part of the Gospel of grace — a continuing part of our ensuing and continuing walk of witnessing and faith.
Look, I have no doubt that people seeing things differently from me have been “saved.” Still and all, what remains is what a person does with that salvation.
A worse possibility would be not having enough oil in our lamps to keep the lights burning while anticipating Jesus’ return.
Worse than that, is the possibility of going to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb without having on the proper wedding attire…
I highly recommend two or more Believers get together and seek that promise to manifest in their lives. People should wait on the Lord in prayer and praise, continue to read the Bible, and seek His presence in their lives.
Finally, let me give this sort-of-warning, and a clue so that you won’t get frustrated seeking the Baptism: Seek the Giver, not the gift.
