by Darrick Marquez

I would like to begin this discussion by bringing to remembrance what has already been written in Matthew 22:2–10. In this parable, Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. He invited guests, but when the time came, they refused to attend—some were too busy, others reacted violently, even killing the messengers. In anger, the king judged those who rejected his invitation and destroyed their city. Then he sent his servants to the streets to invite anyone they could find—both good and bad. The feast hall was soon filled with guests who were willing to come but this was only accomplished because it took obedient servants to draw them in. We are living this dynamic today. The king is sending forth servants who are rooted in Him to bring to him the lost, and to seek and save whomever is willing. The king is ready to send forth laborers but he is also ready to save sinners.

The only reason we can be rooted in action is because we serve a God who is alive, active, and working continually across the entire world. He is not too far or distant from anyone; He is intentional, and those who are rooted in Him will likewise find themselves moved to serve with intentionality and urgency in His kingdom. In this parable, the King represents our Lord, Jesus Christ. The servants represent us who believe in the beautiful gospel. The King has prepared a divine feast, a spiritual invitation to eternal communion, and it is our responsibility to go out and call guests into this great celebration. What a high and holy calling! Too often the invitation to partake in this great feast is ignored, resisted, or outright rejected. But still, the King persists and sends forth laborers because His desire is that His whole house be full.

I have had the profound privilege of serving in God’s kingdom both locally and internationally, but one of the greatest honors that has been bestowed upon me has been the opportunity to travel and serve in the mission field with International Missions and the National Messengers of Peace with powerful young people of God. Without a shadow of a doubt, I can declare with a blessed sureness: God is not limited by geographical boundaries. His Spirit is not bound by language, culture, or human limitation. We serve a God who is continually drawing people to Himself at a global scale, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

I remember, in the city of Baní, Dominican Republic, our Mission DR (Dominican Republic) team members and radical local Dominican MOP’s were sent door to door knocking around the neighborhood of one of the large local churches there as we found ourselves street preaching, extending prayer and fulfilling the commission to reach the lost. On one unforgettable occasion, we entered a home where a mother was deeply distressed and in need of a miracle from God. She pleaded for prayer for her son. To my amazement, when she led us to his room, which was separate from her home, we found her son bound hand and foot with rope, tied to his bed. It was quite obvious to me that he was suffering from schizophrenia and psychosis, tormented by darkness. The only person that I allowed to follow me was a fifteen-year-old Dominican MOP, full of faith, rooted in action with God. As we laid hands on that young man and began to pray, immediately, the power of God descended into that dark room. That young man, once bound and broken, fell to the ground and began speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave him the utterance. When we lifted him up, he looked into our eyes, in his right mind, and transformed.

That is the power of our God. Praise God! If God used a 15 year old MOP who was rooted in action, he can do the same for whoever is obedient and willing to extend a spiritual invitation on behalf of the King.On a separate occasion, in 2021, I had the privilege of traveling with the National Messengers of Peace to the Portugal Revival in Lisbon, Portugal. There, we were mentored, trained, and exposed to hands-on outreach within the Portuguese community. Our mission was simple: invite those we met along the way to a special Friend’ s Day service the next day. I remember, as we walked the streets of Lisbon, and as we were sharing the gospel and inviting people God gave me a spiritual insight how physically we may have been extending an invitation to the Friend’s Day service but in the spirit, we were extending a divine invitation to the King’s banquet. Two individuals who accepted some of our team members’ invitations were filled with the greatest gift of all: the gift of the Holy Ghost that night. I still remember their faces, the excitement, and their voices filled with heavenly tongues as the spirit of God gave them the utterance. These are not just stories, they are testimonies of a living God, of a King sending forth his servants, drawing people into His great feast.

A preacher once said, “An idle mind is the devil’s playground.” So I write to you now, dear reader, “Do not conform to this world, neither to the things of this world but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1) God is calling you. Take on the mind of Christ, and “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith.”(Col. 2:6-7) He is calling you to your local church, to your family, to your city, your county, your neighborhood, your workplace, your friend group, to the nations. The time is now. The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.

There are souls who have never heard or experienced this amazing gift we are so blessed to have received—the gift of salvation, of a new life, of the Holy Ghost. We are living in the last hour, where the spirit of God is being poured out on all flesh. In conclusion: You may ask yourself, How do I know I am called to spread this gospel to the nations? God is opening the doors of great opportunity now. Get connected to these amazing outreach efforts our national leaders are facilitating. My prayer for you reader is that you would not grow weary or become distracted like those in the parable who turned away to their fields and the busyness of life, my prayer is that you would answer the call to save the lost with boldness. With the authority of the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Ghost.

The feast is ready.
The King is calling.
Will you go?

About the Author

Minister Darrick Marquez currently serves as the district president for the Oregon Messengers of Peace. He is also the National MOP Outreach Coordinator. Darrick currently assists The Bridge Apostolic Church in Portland, OR.