The Mission

What I've Been Doing Lately

2011-09-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have been really busy these past few months which is why I haven't been updating my blog lately. And some of those reasons are because I joined the football team in my neighborhood (with some of the kids here) called the "Gladiators". I really enjoy playing football! My friend, Anthony, comes over everyday to play sports with me and Ravi. He's really nice and a really great friend! Me and my family and some other families are doing very exciting work for God, which I'll be able to tell you more about later (in the next couple weeks). I've also been reading a lot of good books like the Bible, "Swiss Family Robinson", "Kit Carson", and "Robin Hood". We've been watching some good movies too that I've liked. Me and my siblings have joined some classes for art and Lego's and building thing out of wood. And all the little things I do everyday have also been keeping me busy! I've been trying to meet some new Christian friends and I'm praying for the non-Christian ones I already know, like the other kids in my neighborhood.

I hope all of you will accept Jesus into your heart like me and my family have! :)

-Stephen

Great Bible Verses

2011-06-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

I really felt like sharing these inspiring verses with you! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :) I hope God will send many people around the world to different places and let them share verses such as these with a lot more people for His glory....

^"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." -Proverbs 18:21

^"She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands." -Proverbs 31:13

"Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse..." -Proverbs 2:12

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..." -Proverbs 3:5

" The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." -John 10:10

"Do not accuse anyone for no reason— when they have done you no harm." -Proverbs 3:30

"Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger." -Proverbs 29:8

"Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer." -Proverbs 24:8

-Stephen

Billy Graham Book's

2011-02-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Billy Graham is one of my favorite pastor's. Here are some of the books I have that he wrote:

"Answer's to Life Problem's"

"Facing Death and the Life After"

"Living in Gods Love"

"Peace with God"

"Hope for each Day"

"Hope for the Troubled Heart"

And here are some book's I would recommend about his life:

"Just as I Am"

"Billy Graham"

"Ask Billy Graham"

Here is a little excerpt from his book, "Hope for each Day"-

"You cannot think your way to God, or use wisdom alone.

You must use your heart."

-Billy Graham

I hope you would enjoy reading these book's as much as I did!

Pilgrims Progress

2010-12-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

A week ago, I watched a movie called "Pilgrims Progress" and I thought it was a very good movie. One of my favorite parts is when "Christian" (a pilgrim going to the Celestial City) fights "Apollyon" (the devil). I also liked the part when a young man named "Fearless" fights the demons. But I don't like the part when the people of Vanity Fair kill "Faithful" and when "Flatterer" traps Christian and Hopeful. This is one of the best movies I have ever watched and I highly recommend it!

"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."- Proverbs 29:5

-Stephen

Growing Up To Be Godly Fathers

2010-08-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've been thinking alot about is- how do young men grow up to be godly fathers? Well, if you're watching other godly men and you are listening to their wise advice you'll know to tell your children the right thing when you grow up (and if you read the Bible!).

You must try to do the right thing all the time, then you'll be a good example to others and you'll also be learning yourself how to teach your kids to do right things when they're young.

Make sure you take good care of your things and be dependable in everything you do so then when you get older, other people will be able to rely on you.

Learn to treat women with respect and love, that way you will be able to treat your wife in the very same manner.

And try to read your Bible everyday so that you can learn all the wisdom you can before you become a father.

In Luke 2:41-49, Jesus is a good example in being in the business of men when he's just a boy (12 years old). . .

"Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.

After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?""

-Stephen

The Right Way

2010-01-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gone the opposite way from where you were supposed to go?

This is like your walk with God;

if you go the wrong way, you have to get back on track or you will not be able to get back just the same as you where before.
And even if you like the way you're going, you will have to go with God in the end.

"Then Abner called to Joab, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?" And Joab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning."" - 2 Samuel 2:26-27

You see how Abner said "Do you not know that the end will be bitter?"? It will end up bitter for you, if you do not go the right way.

You must keep your walk with God strong if you don't want this to happen.

-Stephen Josiah

Christmas Eve!

2009-12-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

My family had a great time at our cousins house on Christmas Eve in Chicago.

Opening gifts

More opening gifts.

The Fuentes Family.

All 21 grand kids with my grandpa.

My dad and my brother, Joshua.

My family with Grandparents and Uncle.

My Uncle laughing and eating!

My Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Rey, Grandma, Uncle Israel and Tia Marisela.

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas!

-Stephen

Psalm 12

2009-12-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

¹ Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

Why did the faithful die out?
Let's pray and be the faithful that have NOT vanished among men!

² Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.

Don't be the people that lies to his neighbor and speaks with deception.

³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue

The Lord is powerful! Watch out!

⁴ that says, "We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips —who is our master?"

God will destroy the evil of the world.

⁵ "Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise," says the LORD.
"I will protect them from those who malign them."

And God will protect the faithful!

⁶ And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.

God ALWAYS speaks the truth and NEVER lies!

⁷ O LORD, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.

God will protect us.

⁸ The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men.

The wicked will fall.

-Stephen-

The Reformation

2009-10-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Do you know how the Reformation started?

The Reformation was started when the pope became so greedy for money that they started selling little scrolls of paper called ''indulgences'' which say that you can get relatives out of a place called "Purgatory" which is not real.
So people started buying them, but one man named Martin Luther knew that they were wrong. So by writing, he told the pope to stop selling them.
One of these writings was the ''95 Theses'' , even though he knew he was a monk of the catholic church under the power of the pope and he could get punished for it.
Then the pope became angry when he read it and told him to come to a meeting called the ''Diet of Worms'' that they might be able to get him to recant his writings. Martin Luther went, didn't recant, left the meeting, then some of his friends hid him and he was safe. While he was hiding he translated the New Testament into German, so that all of his friends could read the Bible for themselves.

We watched a very good movie about Martin Luther called "Luther". I learned alot of things about him. He was an excellent reformer!

Last weekend we went to a "Reformation Day Faire" at Providence Church in Peoria, IL. Me and my family dressed up as reformers. I was dressed up to be John Calvin, who was another great reformer! I had alot of fun!

This man did some good music on his bagpipe!

Me making a sword for the "boffer wars" which was so much fun!

My brother Ravi having fun!

My sister dressed up as Queen Anne Boleyn.

Pastor James McDonald preaching on John Calvin.

They had dancing. . .

. . .That my sister Janai was in.

The boys in the boffer wars.

More boys. . .

. . .And Ravi in line waiting for his turn to fight!

-Stephen

Wisdom, Faith, and Hope

2009-09-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

(This is a picture of Pastor Mark Driscoll)

WISDOM

I like this sermon called "Wisdom" by Pastor Mark Driscoll. I liked how he used the sloth and the ant as demonstrations of being a sluggard and not having any wisdom and being a good worker (like the ant) and having wisdom. So you should always have a good reputation to show your wisdom.

No matter what you're doing, you have to use wisdom.

FAITH

I also like faith! Because you always have to use faith just as much as wisdom. Your faith keeps you strong with your relationship with God. You must use faith as a good thing and not waste it. And you must not give up your faith that God will guide you all your life! Just like how he guided Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

HOPE

And last, you must use hope as much as wisdom and faith. You must always use hope to help you and not to destroy you or the life of others. You must not give up the hope that God gives you. You must use hope each and every day and every moment you live.

-Stephen

Women and Children First

2009-06-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Men should put women and children first and protect them. I like what Mark Driscoll has to say about this.

-Stephen-

Fight The Good Fight

2009-06-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

The "good fight" is the fight for God. The way to fight for God is to fight against the devil and to stand up for God's Word. When I say "fight" I don't mean really "fighting" against other people with your hands but I mean fighting the devil with Bible verses and prayer!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

- Ephesians 6: 10

-Stephen-

Fight For God

2009-05-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

You're in a spiritual battle every minute that you're awake. You are on one of two sides- the Kingdom of God(through salvation) or the Kingdom of Satan (through physical birth). Are you on God's side or on Satan's side? Well, if you're on a mission for God- you're on God's side!

Joshua 24:15
"Then choose for yourselves right now whom you will serve."(NIRV)

-Stephen-

Show Jesus!

2009-05-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know that a lot of people know about God but don't follow Him. So that's why Christians have to be a good example to them. You can help too! Some ways to help would be to care for others, serve others, and pray for others!

"Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord not man. Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does whether he is slave or free."

-Ephesians 6:7

Always be a good example even when you don't feel like it! Because if you are a good example, someone might get saved!!

-Stephen-

Easter

2009-04-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

My mom made a little slideshow about us (me and my family) dyeing eggs and decorating them. I hope you enjoy this slideshow.

-Stephen-

(Don't forget to turn off the music in the sidebar!)

Young Men For God

2009-04-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

(Mark Driscoll and my dad)

You can change the world even when you are young like King Josiah, Billy Sunday and Billy Graham. And if you didn't know, I support two ministries that are helping to change the world.

You can change the world too!

-Stephen-

The Ten Commandments

2009-04-04T14:44:00.001-07:00

The "ten commandments" are God's words.

Here they are...

Do not put any other gods in place of me.
Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the waters.
Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember to keep the sabbath day holy.
Honor your father and mother.
Do not commit murder.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.
Do not give false witness against your neighbor.
Do not long for anything that belongs to your neighbor.

-Exodus 20

You have broken all of these commands.

Here's a verse. . .

"Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God's glory."

-Romans 3:23

But. . .

"Knowing that every good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord whether slave or free."

-Ephesians 6:8

Remember to listen to God's commandments.

-Stephen-

Mark Cahill

2009-03-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

I was able to go see Mark Cahill at Bethel Church in Indiana, and I think he was very inspiring.

His passion for evangelism is unparalleled and his call to the church in America is a much needed wake-up call.

Mark is a former basketball player who played his college ball at Auburn and was teammates with Charles Barkley. After getting his degree in Business and working in the field for a while the Lord called him out and he began his journey of sharing his faith and summoning the people of God to do the same.

He's written a couple of books, "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven," and "One Heartbeat Away," which you find on Amazon. I would encourage you to visit his website and order his books, listen to his messages, get to know him, and let him challenge you. I don't think I'll ever be the same after hearing him speak. Just last night at work I was able to share my faith with an unbeliever and present the gospel message to him. To God be the Glory!

Ways I am Going To Change the World for God

2009-03-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Some of the ways I am going to change the world is by passing out tracts, preaching the Word, teaching the Word, telling others about Christ, etc. But the only way I will be able to do all this is by listening to God, my Mom, and Dad and doing good things.

Here is a verse. . .

Hebrews 11:7-

"Noah had faith. So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things what eye could not yet see. Because of his faith he showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God."

-Stephen-

Men I Admire

2009-03-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

(This is me, Dr. Voddie Baucham, and my dad at a leadership conference.)

Here are some men who have used or are using their lives to change the world for God. And they try to listen to God even when things are hard.

Some of their names are Doug Phillips, Voddie Baucham, Billy Sunday, Franklin Graham, Billy Graham, Chris Klicka, Kevin Swansen, my Dad, Mark Driscoll, Dr. Brian Ray, Ed Stetzer, Rick Warren, and others.

These are the men who inspired me and now I want to help change the world like them!

-Stephen

Men For God

2009-02-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

If you want to become a man of God, you will have to obey His commands. Listen to what He tells you to do, remember that God is always there for you, and then most important of all remember that you fight the dragon with the Lord! Here is a verse -

Nehemiah 4:14

I looked things over, then I stood up and spoke to the nobles, and officials and the rest of the people. I said, "Don't be afraid of your enemies. Remember the Lord. He's great and powerful, so fight for your brothers, and sisters. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and homes."

How I'm Going To Change the World

2009-02-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

The way I want to change the world is by telling others about Christ and leading a Christian church. I want to change the world also by doing what God wants me to do. So I need to listen to his voice as He tells me what to do.

The verse I would like to share with you is from Psalm 112:1b:

"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands."

The reason why I shared this verse is because I knew that God was telling me to. I hope you will learn from this verse that it is good to fear the Lord and find delight in His commands because this man will be blessed.

How To Become A Christian

2009-01-27T13:08:00.000-08:00

"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. " Romans 10:9-10

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

The way you become a Christian is you have to believe that Jesus died for your sins. All you have to do is believe this then you will have eternal life--- and remember God loves you!

About The "Mission" Blog

2009-01-19T16:31:00.001-08:00

I'm a nine-year-old boy named Stephen Fuentes. I made this blog to be helpful for boys to become strong men as they grow up. I want it to help encourage boys to have and live a good walk with Christ. I want it to help them learn about God better.

-Stephen