Reality Squared: A Pathway to Attain and Enjoy the Reality of God

By John Marinelli

"Reality Squared" is a Biblical teaching on "How To" attain and enjoy the reality of God. It starts with a 7-step journey in Romans chapter twelve, where the book challenges the reader to undergo a transformation from carnality to experiencing an abundant life in Christ. The book provides specific instructions o

• Language: English
• Publisher: independent Author
• Release date: Feb 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869090621

John Marinelli

About The Author John MarinelliRev. Marinelli is an ordained minister. He has formed and been pastor of one church in Wisconsin and was the pastor of another in Alabama. He has also been a youth minister and evangelism director over the years. Rev. Rev. Marinelli has authored over 30 books that you can view on his website. www.marinellichristianbooks.comJohn is an accomplished Christian poet. He dabbles in songwriting and writing poetry. He is the Vice President of Have A Heart For Companion Animals, Inc., a "No Kill" animal welfare organization. He volunteers his time promoting fundraising events for www.haveaheartusa.org.Rev. Marinelli is now retired from the sales and marketing arena after spending over 40 years in business-to-business and non-profit marketing. He enjoys writing Christian themed books, playing chess, singing karaoke and a retired lifestyle in sunny Florida.For More Info eMail Contact [e-mail]

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Table Of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter One: My Seven-Step Journey

Chapter Two: How To Move On Beyond Transformation

Chapter Three: How To Walk In The Spirit of God

Chapter Four: How To Avoid The Multiplicity Factor

Chapter Five: How To Master Spiritual Self-Defense

Chapter Six: How To Escape The Reality of Hell

Chapter Seven: How To Spot Heresy in the Church

Chapter Eight: How To Live Out Your Divine Destiny

Conclusion

Selected Christian Poetry By John Marinelli, The Author

About The Author

Reality Squared: How to Attain and Enjoy the Reality of God

Copyright © 2024 by Rev. John Marinelli. All rights are reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced without the author’s written consent.

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1st edition February 2024.

Rev. John Marinelli

P.O. 831413

Ocala FL 34483

Print ISBN: 979-8-8690-9061-4

eBook ISBN: 979-8-8690-9062-1

Preface

Reality Squared is a Biblical teaching on How To attain and enjoy the reality of God. It is a search for the Biblical pathway into the presence of God. It begins with an in-depth Bible study to discover all there is to know.

The reader of this book will learn how to be transformed from a life of carnality, where sadness, depression, and immorality reign into the Will of God in real-time. If done seriously, the study will transform the mind into an abundance of life where love, joy, peace, and other attributes of God flow freely.

I titled this book: Reality Squared because I felt there is more than just man’s reality. God is far above man’s existence, and he has his own separate reality. It is this reality that my teaching is all about. Thus, the title, Reality Squared.

I wrote this teaching because of my quest to be more like Jesus and less like my liberal society. I knew there must be more to living than what I was experiencing. I also believed that the answer was in the scriptures. The study of the scriptures offered a pathway to personal freedom from an inward sin nature, the outward evil attacks of Satan, and the expectations of non-Christian individuals around me. This is my quest that began over 60 years ago.

Introduction

What is reality? The dictionary says this about that:

re·al·i·ty [rēˈalədē] NOUN

a thing that is actually experienced or seen, especially when this is grim or problematic: (the harsh realities of life in a farming community · the law ignores the reality of the situation")

SIMILAR: fact- actuality- truth- verity

a thing that exists in fact, having previously only existed in one’s mind: (the paperless office may yet become a reality)

the state or quality of having existence or substance: (youth, when death has no reality)

The Biblical definition of reality…That reality is the way things really are. Reality is what it is because God declared it to be so and made it so. God is the author, source, determiner, governor, arbiter, ultimate standard, and final judge of all truth. The Bible assumes a fundamental duality in reality, with an irreducible ontological interval between God and everything else.(Ontological = relating to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being)

Reality can be defined in a way that links it to worldviews or parts of them. (conceptual frameworks): Reality is the totality of all things, structures (actual and conceptual), events (past and present) and phenomena, whether observable or not.

Reality is the independent nature and existence of everything knowable, whether it is knowable by logical inference, empirical observation, or some other form of experience. The common misconception is that reality and truth convey the same meaning, but that is not accurate.

Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within the universe, as opposed to that which is only imaginary, nonexistent or nonactual. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system known and unknown.

In today’s world, people have reduced reality to a point of view. It is a perspective or way of thinking. It drives us to be a certain way and do things that shape our destiny. My reality can be very different from yours because you may think along different lines than I do. That’s why there are liberal thinkers and conservative thinkers that clash constantly in the political arena and on social platforms. That’s why there are gays and straights. That’s why women think differently than men. Everyone has his or her own reality or view of life that they live out in different lifestyles. However, beyond all of this is the Reality of God.

I asked a few friends to explain reality to me from their viewpoint.

One friend said that reality was determined by how much money you have which would shape the lifestyle in which you would live. Money equals a lavish lifestyle and ease. Poverty would create a lifestyle of suffering and struggle. The Haves and the Have-nots. This was his point of view concerning reality. (Remember, the actual definition of reality is: The totality of all things, so, my 1st friend is not correct because money and lifestyle does not make up true reality.

Another friend believed that childhood experiences shape one’s reality, determining whether they become a positive or negative adult. This was the foundation of his lifestyle. (Again, this answer, that everybody has different experiences, and that is their reality, would negate an absolute. The totality of all things is an absolute,)

Yet another friend said that their reality was the sum total of their education, which made them what they are today. (This too is incorrect because reality is the total of everything that exists, not everything that is learned.)

Then I talked to one more friend that said reality to him was an ever-changing flow of thoughts that took him into depression and/or other negative feelings from which he could not escape. This was his reality. (This too is incorrect because all thoughts are not the same for every individual. They may shape one’s destiny, but they are not the total of everything that exists.)

Finally, I spoke with a phycologist friend that defined reality as Now. He said the past was gone, and the future has yet to be determined. All that exists is this very moment, and that is reality. (We are indeed living in the moment, but our moment does not cover all that is actual and existing everywhere else. We may not see the billions of people on earth, but they are actual, real, and existing just the same. Plus, a building that was real in the past may still be today, even though it is not in our current moment. Thus, he too is mistaken.)

So, I then planned my theory of reality. Based upon my past education and Biblical knowledge, plus my personal Christianity, I reasoned that true reality had to be realized on a spiritual level, not physical. I also reasoned that there were many realities in life that shape the lifestyles of folks in our society. There could be 7-billion realities on earth, one for every person. They are clashing with each other every day for supremacy. However, they all deal with reality from a personal perspective. They are, in fact, just a little piece of a bigger world view and not universal.

I investigated many different realities and found that, for the most part, they were not based on any Biblical truth. Instead, they were rooted in humanism, feel-good theories, and had a carnal nature. Even the world religions were Anti-Christ in their thinking with a reality that supported false gods and doctrines. Reality should be that which is true, but often it is not. Instead, people present it as truth, but it is actually a false assumption. (Jesus said, Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.) Luke 11:35.

As I studied the scriptures, I discovered that there was a reality where God exists and is Lord over his creation. I also discovered that there was a pathway that would lead me into that reality which is different from what most other folks experience. I discovered I could see, feel, and know the presence of God in real time, day- by-day. I could actually live, and have my being in the "Reality of God.

My search revealed that man’s reality was very different from God’s reality. His reality is unseen, but nevertheless there. It is just as real, if not more real, than what man experiences. Everything in God’s reality is true and purpose driven. In contrast, man’s reality is filled with lies, deception, and fear, which influence his thoughts and shape his reality and subsequent lifestyle. Truth is not the basis for man’s reality. Man has lost truth in his quest for self-identity. What is real is not a prerequisite. If it were, we would all be living in God’s reality.

I am pleased to share my 60+ year journey with you, hoping you too can find yourself and live in a world that is ordered by God and blessed with his grace and love.

The Pathway to the Reality of God

There is a pathway that leads to the reality of God. This path is not clear, so as folks could readily see it and know where it goes. The pathway hides itself in plain sight, and only those who seek God can find it.

As we study, we will look at Romans, chapter twelve, with a look back at the end of chapter eleven. I will also add other supporting scriptures as relevant to my discussion.

Based on the material from Acts and the Corinthian epistles, we can clearly see that Paul wrote the Book of Romans from Corinth on his third missionary journey. Paul had never visited Rome; but after fulfilling his mission of mercy to Jerusalem, he hoped to go to Rome in route to Spain (Rom. 15:23-25). At any rate, the date of the book is probably 60 A.D.

At the end of chapter eleven, Paul said this, For of him, and through him and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen. (He speaks of Jesus)

The beginning of chapter twelve, Paul continued with a, Therefore said this, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

The reason or need for us to be transformed is so we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Thus, knowing the perfect will of God is discernable, but not by worldly methods. It takes the Spirit of God to see into spiritual things. That’s why Paul begs us to be transformed.

Paul is pleading with or (Beseeching) the Christians at Rome, based on 11:36, (Because all things are of him, through him and to him). 12:1 "Therefore, we, by the mercies of God, ought to present our bodies as a living sacrifice which is holy and acceptable unto God."

This action, although noteworthy, is difficult. Paul knew this and thus tells his believers that it will require a transformation from worldly to spiritual; from walking in darkness to walking in the light of God’s love; from immorality to morality. Life as they knew it would have to change radically. Their thinking will have to become brand new.

The mind will have to be renewed.. So…to be transformed, we need to exchange our corrupt minds with the mind of Christ. We need to restore our minds to a condition of holiness. The problem is, we have never been in that holy mindset, so restoration is seemingly impossible because we do not know what that looks like…or do we?

The unsaved man is like Adam after he fell from God’s grace. He is without God’s indwelling Spirit (Breath of Life). He was separated from God and left to walk in spiritual darkness.

The saved man is like Jesus. He possesses the indwelling Spirit of the living God. (His Breadth of Life) He is privileged to hear God’s voice, understand his logic, and be blessed by his wisdom. All of this came to man when he was Born Again. John 3:16.

The invisible nature of God now shines in and through his children, who have been Born Anew by his Spirit. It’s like a butterfly that once was a crawling, worm-like creature that experiences transformation and becomes a beautiful butterfly. This is a vivid picture of a, New Creature. The old passed away, rather…was transformed into something entirely new.

We are buried into baptism with Christ and raised with him in newness of life. Colossians 2:12. Anyone who says they are alive in God and does not believe in the burial by baptism and a personal resurrection with Christ is deceived and probably not really saved.

Here is what Paul said to the Galatians: (Chapter Three) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:1-35.

This is a prime example of a need to be renewed. They drifted away from spiritual things, returning to the things of the flesh. If you read on, you will discover that they had abandoned the concept of God’s saving grace to trust in the Law of Moses as a spiritual guide for salvation. Paul said they were foolish. So…we now know that we are to be transformed and the way to accomplish that transformation is to renew our minds…to go back to the simplicity of the gospel and follow in the footsteps of Christ. Let me explain.

The world system of things… like Liberalism, Secularism, Gay Rights, Gender Reclassification, and other immoral posturing, has worn off on us.

The world’s influence has led to a general lack of faith and a general falling away from the gospel of grace. They were once dedicated to God’s will, not their own. He was the center of their lives and they found themselves in him, not in the things of this world. His mindset was what they sought and found in his lordship. They could see life from his perspective.

The pathway to the reality of God was through a renewal of their minds. It was the only way they could escape the sinful nature inside of them and attain and enjoy God’s grace in real time.

So, we will embark on the same journey that the 1st century saints took to be transformed from death unto life; darkness into light; lost to being saved and from sorrow into an abundance of joy. Our journey will take us into a renewal process that will deliver us into the reality of God.

Chapter One:

My Seven-Step Journey

I began my search for the Reality of God by going on a spiritual seven-step journey, designed to open my eyes and teach my spirit about the things of God. My goal was to discover Biblical truths that would influence my thinking and guide my thought life.

If you take my seven-step spiritual journey in search of The Reality of God you may wish to keep a journal, jotting down your feelings and revelations from God as you move from step to step.

I suggest one day per step to absorb all the Biblical truth in that step. However, one day may not be enough. You may need one week or even more. Take all the time you need. The goal is to get God’s Word in you so you can use it. The purpose is to establish a Godly Mindset that brings about a perspective that is pleasing and acceptable to God. The result is to renew your mind. So, let’s look at the 1st of 7 steps in renewing your minds.

Remember, our goal is to move from man’s flawed reality into God’s perfect reality. This will require serious evaluation of those things we now look at as our reality. Some will have to go, while others can stay as the Spirit of the Lord shows us.

Step #1

Become A Living Sacrifice

Most of us get up each day, running away from life or trying to master it with all our energies. Paul tells us we are to present ourselves unto God as a "Living Sacrifice." He further says that this action is reasonable, considering what Christ did for us. Romans 12:2.

Paul’s admonition to sacrifice ourselves to God did not mean physical death. We were not to be burned on the altar, as the sacrifices were in ancient Israel. We were, however, to sacrifice the world we live in with all its evil and to deny ourselves any evil lifestyle associated with it. This is what is meant by a living sacrifice. We go on living, but not as we did before; in riotous living, drunkenness, immorality, adultery, and all the other deeds of the flesh spoken of in Galatians chapter five.

What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense?

The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We become a living sacrifice by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1