Inspiration: Catch It, Ride It, Share It

By James K. Ortiz

This book provides a focused view of the struggle faced by every human being, the battle of the flesh vs. spirit.  Long time believers are inspired to live a more abundant life in Christ and new comers to the Christian faith are equipped with the information necessary to recognize the promptings of the Holy Spirit of God. Throughout the book you are encouraged to take progressive steps toward your maturity in the Lord and held accountable to live your life on purpose. You will be pushed through your storms, trials, and tribulations; lifted above your past wounds, rescued from fatigue and brought to a place where the monotony of the "everyday" life will be shattered with the INSPIRATION of the Spirit-Filled life that is Worth Living! Get your copy now!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pastor James
• Release date: Apr 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781733760867

Book preview

All scriptures quotations are from the King James Version are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain unless otherwise indicated.   Some text have been italicized, underlined and bolded by author for emphasis. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV):

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright©

1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Inspiration- Catch It, Ride It, Share It

Living Life Above average

Copyright © 2021 by James K. Ortiz

ISBN: 978-1-7337608-5-0   (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-7337608-6-7  (E-book)

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America.

Revised second print 2021

First print 2019.

Dedication

To Abigail Serrano and the late Reverend, Dr. Luis Serrano, my spiritual parents who convinced me that I could be of good use for the kingdom of God and entrusted me with ministry. Thank you for exposing a shepherd’s heart. Words cannot express how much I love you and how are grateful my wife and I are for having experienced the depths of your love.

To all my family each of you have a special place in my heart and are constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

To my KJC family (past and present), I truly love you all! You make such a difference. Thank you for all the support concerning our Father’s business. 

Mother, your love, dedication, care and support has been second to none and the fact that you were the first person to introduce me to God is greatly appreciated! I love you like no one else.

Father, thank you for the many lessons learned. I love you.

Finally, to my wife and children, Zaida, Jeremiah and Maya, thank you for teaching me unconditional love and for being by my side as we walk with God, through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I am glad I have the rest of this lifetime to love you most!

Contents

Dedication

Table of contents

Introduction:  (The Message behind the Book)

Chapter 1  New Vision to Reign in Life

Chapter 2 A Closer Look at the Holy Spirit

Chapter 3   You Shall Receive Power

Chapter 4 Fire upon the Living Sacrifice

Chapter 5  The Leading of the Spirit

Chapter 6  The Spirit of Truth

Chapter 7  Striving with the Spirit

Chapter 8  The Unpardonable Sin

Chapter 9 The Heart of Our Walk 

Chapter 10   There Must Be More to Christianity  

Chapter 11 Confidence in the Father's Love 

Chapter 12 The Spirt-filled Life of Service

Chapter 13 Becoming More Than a God Seeker

Chapter 14 The Spirit-filled Life

Chapter 15 Believe God for the Impossible

Conclusion

About the author  

Introduction: The Message behind the Book

Inspiration by definition is more than just the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something creative. Inspiration is the drawing in of breath; it is inhalation. There would be no life if there was no such thing as inspiration, ...then the Lord God formed the man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:5-9 (ESV). As God breaths and His breath is received therein is the birth of inspiration.

In the book of John chapter 20 versus 18-22, it reveals the first time the disciples received the Holy Spirit (which was not on the day of Pentecost as many believe). Shortly after his crucifixion and resurrection, while the disciples were behind closed doors hiding for their lives, Jesus reveals himself to them in the flesh and said to them, Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. After these words he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.

While Jesus was with the apostles he instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). Concerning this promise he further explained, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on YOU.

It is felt within these scriptures we find the realization that revival is not corporate, it’s individual.  God inspires individuals.  Revivals as we know them are the results of individual spiritual renewals, manifested in unison with other individuals being inspired and going through spiritual renewals at the same time. It’s interesting to see that in the book of Acts, it is mentioned that the 120 that were gathered, were in unity.  One hundred and twenty individuals gathered together, having individual revivals. 

Those one hundred and twenty individuals received their inspiration and power from God, which was the birth of the church, and they went onward to spread the truth of God’s word which was the purpose behind their being inspired by God. To that end, Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach...proclaim...) Luke Chapter 4. The revival wasn’t primarily the manifestation of God’s Spirit, it was the declaration of His word reinforced by the manifestation of His presence. On that premises, a Spirit-Filled Life starts with a personal progressive spiritual renewal. That is revival or what we will refer to as the CATCH IT section of this book. 

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit after He returned from the Jordan (river) and was led by the Spirit to the desert. Ref. Luke 4:1.  Once we have experienced a revival in our lives and are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are no longer in control of our lives (Rom 8:14; Gal. 5:18; John 5:30; 2 Cor. 5:7).  As Jesus was led to the desert, we must also follow where the Spirit of the Lord leads us. Though Jesus was being tempted for forty days in the desert He was there by the leading of the Spirit.  Being Spirit led (RIDE IT) is evidence of truly being Spirit filled.

Lastly, Jesus having been filled with the Holy Spirit (at the Jordan river) and being led by the Spirit to the desert (Luke 4:1) He returned from his revival and trial period to preach, proclaim, cleanse, and heal (Luke 4:17-21).  He took His personal revival and gave what God the Father had given him to others, now that’s Spirit-Filled living (SHARE IT).

The intention behind this book is to encourage long time believers to live a more inspirational and abundant life in Christ (John10:10) and to equip new comers in the faith with the information necessary to recognize the promptings of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14) which leads us into purpose.  You should feel encouraged to take progressive steps toward your maturity in the Lord and develop a heighten sense of accountability toward the high calling by which you have been called (Eph 4:1-6; 2 Thess 1:11-12). You will be pushed through your storms, trials, and tribulations; lifted above your past wounds, rescued from fatigue, and brought to a place where the monotony of the everyday life will be shattered with the inspiration of the Spirit-Filled life that is worth living!

Part 1-Catch It    Chapter One

New Vision to Reign in Life

A Very Specific Dilemma

I once heard a preacher say, When I get to heaven I can’t wait to see Adam, so I can smack him in the face.  Perhaps many of us can empathize with that preacher. Especially if we forget that Adam was, after all, just a man!  The truth is both Adam and Eve get looked upon harshly and unfairly.  Imagine what it must have been like to be the only human beings!  They had to learn to be human on their own. By learn, I refer to the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary definition, to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience. God gave them specific provisions and instructions, but they had to experience the limitations of their humanity.  They had no human relative from which they could receive direction, not a friend to articulate the danger and pain which comes because of disobedience.  Theirs to a greater degree than ours was a life of trial and error.

Adam was a good creation with intelligence, strength and so much more going for himself (Genesis 1:26-2:15). Through the scriptures we see that he is placed in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Gen 2:15).  If I may paraphrase, Adam was placed in the perfect place and the perfect position to cultivate what God had already planted!  Furthermore, within the provision of God were the seeds the plants possessed to ensure a continued harvest.  There is a wealth of kingdom keys in these scriptures alone that speaks volumes about the providential hand of the Lord and the fact that He is truly "Jehova-Jirah The Lord your provider, but that will not be our focus.  Let us focus our attention to the fact that we see in these scriptures man’s very first assignment as a husbandman" or tiller of the ground. Having received this task, Adam was given the clear message that he was not in charge of himself.  Although he was to have dominion or authority over every living creature that moved on the ground, God said, "You can eat of every tree, but..." (Gen 1:28).

Each one of us is faced with a very specific dilemma which is a result of what took place after the but.  It was just a moment in time, but Adams decision to eat of the forbidden fruit has had a ripple effect that expands even unto this lifetime.  Next to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil stood the Tree of Life. The scriptures specifically mention that they were both in the middle of the garden (Gen 2:9).  Here is the dilemma; we all know what happened at the Garden of Eden. Many of us, old and young alike are constantly faced with it.  On the one hand, there is the offer of the world (Satanic to its core).  We are offered so much that looks good for food, so much that is pleasing to the eye, so much that is desirable, and often we reach for these things.  With our arms stretching out as if some magnetic force was pulling, we reach for the world’s offers in hopes that they will satisfy our hunger and ease our curiosity. What we ignore is the opportunity to reach for the eternal satisfaction that can only come by way of the Tree of Life! 

At the heart of man’s sin is not so much the desire to be like God, it is the desire to govern himself. Adam’s sin wasn’t that he listened to his wife and ate of the fruit. His sin was in the fact that God had forbidden him to eat from the tree.  God’s law pointed to the sin.  The warning could not be louder, Surely you will die. He chose to govern himself.  He knew God.  He knew of God’s creative ability, His ability to care for him, to provide, to place him in just the right place he needed to be, and still; without being deceived, he made the wrong decision! Thus, sin entered the world and death through sin (Rom 5:12).  Like a cancer it feeds on your life and spreads like a wildfire.  By the time we recognize its destructive power and see through its delicate exterior, we are found gasping for air because of the grip around our necks! Have you ever stolen something?  Have you ever lied?  Have you ever lusted after someone or something?  By our own admission, we are liars, luster’s, and thieves, to say the least. That’s a hint of the power of sin and the evidence that we are neither wise nor strong enough to release its hold on our own.

Reign in life

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17). 

According to the Vines Dictionary/Strong’s Concordance, the definition of reign as it refers to this text is the activity of life in fellowship with Christ in His sovereign power, reaching its fullness hereafter.  This day, I speak to your spirit and declare, You will reign in life through the rebuilding of the temple! ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.’ says the Lord Almighty.  You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). 

Jesus is God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness.  For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).  For God so loved the world...but the world hated him and the world still hates him.  In this we see grace-the unmerited favor of God.  We did not deserve what the Heavenly Father sacrificed.  Nevertheless, because of what God has done for us, we are now made righteous (in right standing) with God.  Once again man has been placed in just the right position to have a relationship with Him who sits on the throne!

You can reign in this life!  You can reign over your circumstances, you can reign over your trials, and you can reign over your tribulation, over your finances, over your sickness, over your past sins and the list goes on!

However, how much you reign over your life circumstances will depend upon your ability to receive direction from the Holy Spirit of God and that will mean embracing the new creation.  We don’t have to fight and struggle with sin as much as we have been convinced to believe! 

Yes, there is a very real struggle within us all, as pointed out by Paul, For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. (Rom 7:19-20) (NKJV).  If that was the bottom line of Paul’s statement, you and I would have no chance of winning this wrestling match (Flesh vs. Spirit).  We would be forced to fight and struggle in a losing battle.  But He says, "Oh wretched man that I am, Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God—through Jesus Christ!" Verses 25-26.  Furthermore, he states, "there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."  (Rom 8:1-6) NKJV. 

The Blessing of Obedience

It is clear through Paul’s statement that we need the power of the Spirit of God to live a victorious life over sin and death. It is for this reason this book has been written.  Too many Christians are not living a life worthy of that name.  To be a Christian is to be identified as a follower of Christ, a disciple.  It’s important to note that the lives of the first disciples were strictly managed through obedience to the words of Christ, which produced faith enough to expect the impartation of the Spirit of life, the promised Holy Spirit. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:4-8) NKJV.

Through obedience God not only guides our steps, but He uses that seed to provide for our deepest needs.  Did you catch that?  Obedience is a seed for blessings, "Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.