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