The Soultown! Volume IV: Issue 1 JANUARY 2020 | Page 28

Faith Enthusiast IOWA - I SEE HOPE. The tag that accompanies the articles I author for The Soultown is The Faith Enthusiast, hopefully for good reasons. For the last three months every weekend that I am in town I worship with a growing church family and I make appointments with the lead pastor for one on one sessions. These, for me, are refreshing times. I see a change in the Cedar Valley as a result of the presence of this body of vibrant believers. From the age of 17 I have longed to see such a work here in Waterloo. I have heard such vision preached, taught, and hoped for, but to see it become a reality gives my faith a huge boost. Of course, you know that the word ‘enthusiasm’ come from enthousiazein meaning to be inspired or possessed by a god, to be in ecstasy. “EN” from the word ‘in’. “THEOS” from the word ‘god’. We recall from high school the study of Greek mythology Dionysus the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, wine, fertility and religious ecstasy. The Romans named him Bacchus. Those who partake of this god’s worship were believed to become possessed, filled and empowered by Bacchus as they drank of the fruit of the vine. I believe that in his witness to the citizens of the Roman Empire, the Apostle Paul was using the word DR. DAVID RAINEY Faith Enthusiast Learn more from our Faith Enthusiast at: thesoultown.com Email Me: [email protected] “Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.” -- Hebrews 11:1 ‘entheos’ as to being filled with the Spirit of the Living God and to know the mysteries of God through Christ Jesus. Allow me to place the word ‘faith’ before the word ‘enthusiast’ along with the help of Scripture to add to this reading. Hebrews 11:1 (VOICE) “Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.” So just who are these individuals who are a building faith legacy in so many here in the Cedar Valley? Hope City Church headed by Quavodus Marshall. I affectionately call them, “Pastor Q and The Crew!” I find this exploding church a refreshing spring of living water. This Body of Believers model the Church in the Second Chapter of Acts of the New Testament. That first church was diverse, discipled, disciplined, multicultural, interracial INNER CITY! In times past many churches were built on ‘good’ preaching, but lacked continuity. What builds both church and community is meeting people at the point and the place of their need … this is called Ministry. This starts with a ‘call to’ resulting in a ‘call from’. A call echoing from the halls of government to the hallways of the homeless, this is the impact of ‘good’ ministry. Good ministry is a refreshing spring that restores faith, provides vision for future generations coming from Believers gathering to carry out the edicts of the Kingdom of Heaven. Good ministry is not about entourages, or troops of armour bearers. It is about ‘forsaking all’ to see the Will of God manifested here on earth. I salute Q and The Crew of HCC! I am Dr. David Rainey, Faith Enthusiast for The Soultown International Magazine. I’d like to thank God for having SOUL! , 26 Jan. 2020 • Immortalizing Our Stories to Implore Positive Progress In Our Communities • thesoultown.com