We are continuing our series on getting to know your church leaders a little bit better. Read along to learn more about Gabe Marquez, who just joined our Deacon Council.
Where were you born, and do you still consider that home, or somewhere else?
I was born in Taos, NM and I still have my parents and lots of family up there, so Taos will always be my “hometown”, but home for me, in this life, is where the Lord has me now.
What did you want to be when you grew up – and is that still a dream?
I had aspirations of becoming an artist, a hunting guide, or a fly fishing guide. I spent many years as an artist, so in a sense I did experience that, and lately I’ve been spending a lot of time teaching my kids and others to fly fish and hunt, so even though I don’t get paid for it, I get a lot of satisfaction from teaching others to enjoy the outdoors. God is all too good to me…
What or who was your earliest spiritual influence?
I have had many spiritual influences over the years, so choosing one would almost be impossible for me. But early on, Terry Ash, who modeled the strength of Christ in his weakness certainly stands out for me. But again, there were many great men and women who impacted me spiritually, almost too many to choose one. Again, the Lord is all too good to me…
How and when did Christ call you to Himself?
My testimony is long and a bit of a story to tell, so let me just say this; Praise God that He is able to humble the proud and that His hand is not too short to save, even a wretch like me… I was 25 when the Lord quickened my heart to life, but it was a long process that included many faithful saints planting the seeds of the gospel on the infertile soil of my heart, until the Lord brought them to life at His intended time. I know with certainty that His plans for me were set from even before the foundation of the world, and my contribution to it all was a lot of fleeing and rejecting, until He unveiled my eyes to the irresistible grace of the love of Christ for me, while I was lying on the floor of a jail cell.
What is a scripture you often read or share with others?
I don’t know that I have a favorite verse, but I find myself quoting Romans, 1 and 2 Peter, the Psalms, and of course the Gospels more often than most these days. But if there is one verse that motivates me the most to pursue the Lord in His word more than any other, it is 1 Samuel 3:1 “…The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” This is a bone chilling verse for me to think about, and it reminds me how blessed we are to have full access to God's word, things into which even the angels longed to gaze upon. We can become so near-sighted at times that we are blind, even forgetting that we were once cleansed of our former sins. We have all that the Lord intended for us to know in His word, and somehow we often choose to pursue temporal pleasures…The word became flesh! The person of Jesus Christ epitomized the word of God to us, and no one has ever seen God, but the only God who is at the fathers side, He has made Him known! Every question about who God is, is answered in Jesus! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us!
What is a special answered prayer you’ve received from the Lord?
A couple years ago I noticed a remarkable increase in my desire for God’s word, and an unquenchable longing for a deeper relationship with Him in prayer. I also couldn’t help but notice a multiplying of grace and peace in my heart, as a result. After six months of this happening, my son Joshua gave me a letter explaining that he had been praying that the Lord would light a blazing fire in my heart for Jesus, and that he was so thankful that the Lord had answered his prayers… Now my prayer is that the Spirit would ever increase that fire all the days of my life, until I see Him face to face.
What is a blessing and what is a challenge you see will come from serving as a deacon?
I feel blessed to have been called to serve the Lord as a servant to my family at MCC, especially since this is not something that I ever aspired to, so it further proves that the Lord is moving me. I’m challenged at this point to see what benefits I might add to the DC, but also very hopeful that the Lord will do what He wills with me.
What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?
As far as hobbies are concerned, I love the outdoors. I particularly love bow hunting, fly fishing, fly tying, and camping. My father was very instrumental in it all since he is an avid outdoorsman himself. I also enjoy exercise, gardening, and cooking.
What is your favorite family tradition?
One of my favorite family traditions is to go to the mountains together to harvest a Christmas tree. We normally do this the weekend after Thanksgiving. We go with friends, and make a day of it, playing in the snow (when there is snow), eating good food, drinking hot cocoa, making a campfire, and hanging out in the mountains for the day as we search for the perfect tree! It’s the best!
How do you enjoy spending a day off?
I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids any chance I get. A perfect day off would be to get up early, spend time in the Word while enjoying coffee with my wife in our living room. Followed by a family gym outing. Followed by a great homemade breakfast, and the rest of the day well spent in the woods together hiking to a great piece of fly fishing water. To be honest, as long as I’m with my family I’m happy.
What is the perfect meal?
We enjoy anything made with simple but high quality ingredients. It’s better if it’s something we grew, caught, hunted or raised ourselves, but to be honest any meal shared with loved ones is the perfect meal. Oh, and yeah, tacos are good!
Who or what never fails to make you laugh?
My wife and I have the best relationship. We love each other deeply and have the best conversations. At times I’m sure we get under each other's skin, and can have heated debates, but we love to laugh together. She makes me smile, a lot…
We asked Ashley:
What is your favorite trait of Gabe's?
One of my favorite traits of Gabe is his leadership qualities. He leads our family with grace and humility and leads those around him in Truth. Oh, and his sense of humor!
What does Gabe do that can always make you smile?
I can always count on Gabe’s sense of humor to make me smile.
