Ikthoos.org

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Work as Worship?

This video will encourage you! Please let us know what you think of this video. Share it with everyone!

Respectfully,

George Fuller

Founder & CEO

Ikthoos.org

“Connecting the Christian Community!”

(650) 308-4667

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Top 10 ways to get the most out of your Ikthoos Membership!

Dear Ikthoos Member,
Ikthoos is growing! Have you seen our newest homepage? Have you clicked on our new homepage tabs? We've added a blog, too!

As you know, Ikthoos provides trusted connections to biblically committed Christian organizations.
Ikthoos is always free for churches & missionaries!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

We are excited to announce Ikthoos Magazine!
Ikthoos Magazine is a free monthly Christian magazine that offers weekly devotionals by local Pastors, local events, and special offers from local Christian owned businesses. It is placed in churches and businesses all over the greater Springfield area. If you are interested in reaching your local Christian community through print, consider an ad in Ikthoos Magazine. Pricing is very reasonable. In fact, I'll take off your monthly Ikthoos.org Membership rate ($19.99) from your Ikthoos Magazine ad price. Interested? Just contact me at info@ikthoos.org for more details.

Top 10 ways to get the most out of your Ikthoos Membership!

1. Customize your Tacklebox with current photos, information, and more. Once you login, click Member Home>Then click Tacklebox.

2. Cultivate brand awareness and loyalty. Make sure to invite others to view your Tacklebox. Search for your Tacklebox the way others would find it. *Once you are viewing your Tacklebox, copy the website address and share it with others by posting this same website address on your Facebook page and other social media outlets.

3. Ask those you know to rate your product/services on Ikthoos. What a great way to inform the public of your business!

4. Rate/review other businesses. Do a zip code only search and find other businesses you know, then give them a rating/review.

5. Connect with other businesses. A link to your business will show up in their Tacklebox. This provides better referrals through personal recommendations. Within the Member Home, click Recommend Member to search for other businesses to Hook™ with. These Hooks are very valuable to you and them.

6. Use the Ikthoos Member Badge on your website homepage, business cards, and other marketing materials by logging in and clicking the Marketing Material tab within Member Home. Your Member Badge lets the world know you hold to biblical standards and are a Member of a fast growing, cutting-edge, online Christian directory! Additionally, hyperlink your Member Badge to your specific Tacklebox website address (See * above).

7. Help Ikthoos grow by giving your feedback. Click Improve Ikthoos at the lower right corner of our homepage. The more feedback, the better Ikthoos becomes!

8. Encourage your church and missionaries you know to join Ikthoos. Then Hook with them. Ikthoos is always free for churches & missionaries! Also, ask your church to display Ikthoos Magazine and let us know if they are willing.

9. We appreciate your referrals! Please tell other Christian business owners about Ikthoos.

10. Know your Referral Code. When a business uses your Referral Code to join Ikthoos, you get your next month FREE! Look for your Referral Code within your Member Home.

I appreciate your business. Let me know how I can serve you. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at info@ikthoos.org.

Respectfully,

George Fuller
Founder & CEO
Ikthoos, LLC
Connecting the Christian Community!
Ikthoos Channel on YouTube
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Google+
2131 W Republic RD, Suite 135
Springfield, MO 65807
(650) 308-4667

Share our video by posting this YouTube link on your social media accounts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMusQcNU4dc

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

6 Characteristics of a Christian Business

Recently, I have had multiple opportunities to answer the question, What is a Christian business? In fact, in a couple of days I will have my very first opportunity to teach at a conference of business owners and professionals about taking their faith to their workplace.

Do you want to know the cool thing about this opportunity? The audience will be in India and we will be communicating via Skype!

Christian Business Defined?

In preparation for this conference, I have been working on my definition of a Christian business. While I am not an expert, I have spent the past eight years trying to answer the question and live it out. I have read what the Bible has to say about it, as well as many books that reference the Bible. I have learned from others that are living their faith through their businesses. I have also learned from my own mistakes and disappointments.

Rather than try to relay everything I have learned about defining Christian business (and taking the next several hours of your time!), I will try to give you the basics. I do not pretend that this is an exhaustive definition. Nor do I claim that I am the authority and cannot be questioned. I am simply a disciple that is learning as I go. This is what I have so far:

6 Characteristics of a Christian Business

1. God owns the earth and everything in it.

This includes all animals, all plants, and even all businesses. In my opinion, the first step of a Christian business is to acknowledge this fact and submit the leadership of the business to God's direction.

2. God's economy operates from an eternal perspective.

God's economy does not operate from a 30 day picture (or quarterly or annual either). Therefore, a Christian business operates from an eternal perspective - choosing eternal impact over financial results. Obviously, no business can exist by ignoring financial results, but by operating on God's principles first, both can be achieved.

3. Christian business does not guarantee prosperity.

Despite TV preachers telling you otherwise, dedicating your business to God will not guarantee you financial success. Though God promises to honor our efforts if we dedicate them to Him (Psalm 37:5-6), He does not say when this will happen. His time frame is not ours. We may expect our reward while we are honoring Him, but He may not bring it to life for 100 years. We honor Him for who He is, not for what it will bring us.

4. The mission of the Christian business lines up with Scripture.

The Greatest Commandment (Matt. 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) are commands, not suggestions. Therefore, I believe the Christian business should have a mission that reflects these commands.

5. A Christian business exists and operates in the world.

It employs believers and non-believers alike. It ministers to both, as well as customers and the community, in the normal course of doing business. This ministry takes on a variety of looks!

6. A Christian business will fulfill us.

Quite simply, we are designed to be fulfilled through our relationship with God. Period. If we try to separate our work from that relationship in the hopes that we will get a different, material fulfillment, then we are sadly mistaken. Read Ecclesiastes for more on this. On the other hand, even the most menial work, if done unto God, will bring fulfillment we cannot imagine.

Author: Chris Patton, May 1, 2012
http://christianfaithatwork.com/what-is-a-christian-business/
Used by permission

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

This week is a little different than others. I want to let everyone know that Ikthoos will be at the Ichthus Music Festival this week. We will be giving out t-shirts and adding Members to Ikthoos.org. I don't want this blog to be a sales agent, so enough said about that. Here's a video about the Ichthus Music Festival. Ichthus video.

I invite you to watch this video and let us know your thoughts. Let's generate some great discussion about this very topic."Why I hate religion, but love Jesus"

Please share this article with those you know but copying and pasting this link to you social media sites www.ikthoos.blogspot.com

Now, on to the video...

Respectfully,

George Fuller

Founder & CEO

Ikthoos, LLC

“Connecting the Christian Community!”

Ikthoos Channel on YouTube

(650) 308-4667

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

What Is Your Profession?

What is your profession? Are you a plumber, an author, or a doctor? The word “profession” means:

An occupation…“My father was a carpenter by profession.”

I want to focus today on what the Bible says about “profession.”

Draw your attention to Hebrews 10:1-25 (KJV). Here the author makes some comparisons and contrasts between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant; the Old being the sacrificial system and the New being Jesus’ sacrifice in the cross for the sins of the world. This is the Gospel, is it not?

Let’s look at the word “profession” again. It can also be defined as, A declaration of belief, faith or of one's opinion.

Verse 23 reads; “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering…” (emphasis mine).

If you are a Christian, your profession can be defined by what you do, or the position you hold. But let’s all remember this; our profession, our confession is the Gospel.

We are the light of the world. Some choose to hide their light under a basket. Our western culture divides secular and spiritual. Church is on Sunday and maybe Wednesday but not for the work week. This is a mistake.

Let’s define “church.” Church is a body of believers meeting together. It is not a building. We invite people to church while at the same time they are viewing a part of the church…us. My point is this; everything we do, whether godly or ungodly, is still part of what others view as acceptably “Christian.”

Christians; we are ambassadors for Christ whether we are Christlike or not. Paradoxical?

Illustration; Set up a meeting with someone that isn’t a Christian and let them tell you the definition of “church” and “Christian.” Their definition may not necessarily based on fact. Perception has become their “reality” even though it isn’t necessarily biblical.

Christians are looked down on and even hated because of what Christians have done in the name of Jesus or Christianity. People assume Christ is a certain way through His followers, without regard for God’s written word.

If a U.S. Ambassador was in another country and acted unbecoming of an American citizen, the country around that embassy would think that most, if not all Americans must be the same. It would be an American stereotype. Believe me; I’ve experienced these stereotypes first hand while in other world countries.

What is the Christian stereotype? (I’ll write more about this topic at another time.) Are we hypocritical, dishonest, fake, weak…?

God does everything through His holiness. His love is holy. His anger is holy. For us, everything is through Christ; everything is through being a Christian. I’m a Christian dad, a Christian husband, a Christian driving a car, a Christian Soldier, and a Christian business owner. We are Christians. We speak and act on His behalf, not our own. Don’t let the separation of church and state influence you on the job site or anywhere else. There is no such thing. Just because the world doesn’t want to hear the truth doesn’t mean we have to be silent. Being Christlike and sharing the Gospel is loving your neighbor.

There are times others hate us because we are Christians. Don't forget Jesus' words in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Consider 1 Peter 2:18-21 (Submission to Authority)

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps

But do they hate us because we follow Christ or our own form of Christianity? Do others hear our words and see different actions? The book of James says that our faith is evident by our actions. Do we reflect Christ? Do we bear the fruit of the spirit?

Galatians 5:22-23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

What is the antithesis of professing something? -To deny

Let’s consider one more verse:

Titus 1:16 “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

Do we deny God by the way we act and the words we say? I challenge you to be like Christ. This isn’t a Sunday thing; this is a moment by moment devotion. We have to be devoted to be like Christ; that’s discipleship!

Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

So I ask you, what is your profession? Please follow our blog, share your thoughts here, and share this blog on your social media sites. Thank you for reading!

Respectfully,

George Fuller

Founder & CEO

Ikthoos, LLC

“Connecting the Christian Community!”

Ikthoos Channel on YouTube

(650) 308-4667