You Can't Love Others If You Don't Like Your Self

By Ianpassion

Picture was taken on the way to Doi Inthanon, Northern Thailand, 2023 

The most important relationship we have is with our "self."


Too many people are not happy with their "self." They focus on what they don't have, on their flaws and failures. Why am I not like him or her? Instead of accepting themselves as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece created in the image of our Almighty Father, they wish to be someone else, to have a better life, and to have a different personality. 

How Much The Father Loves His Children?

By Ianpassion

Photo was taken at sunset view Pak Nam, Langu, Satun, Thailand 2021

Do you know how much the Father Almighty loves us? In His Word, it is mentioned that the great love of the Father has lavished love on us (I John 3:1). It was not small love or conditional love, but it was great love. 

What is commonly misunderstood, people embrace sufferings with the thought that they could make the Father loves them more. But, what is far more profound is not how much we love the Father Almighty, it is how much the Father loves us.

Abba's Love For Us Is Unstoppable

By Ianpassion
The picture was taken at the Manang Hill, Satun, Thailand

"We cannot shut off, stop, or in any way diminish Abba's flow of love towards us. No matter what we do, we cannot cause Abba to stop loving us. Nothing can change the way he feels us." - T.D. Jakes

The way Father Almighty expresses His love for us is totally different from the way people or our leaders do it for us. Man's love has lots of conditions, especially if we are in an organization, not in a family.

What The Father Almighty Wants Is Intimacy

By Ianpassion

The picture was taken at the viewpoint in Manang, Satun Thailand

"We cannot shut off, stop, or in any way diminish the Almighty Father's flow of love towards us. No matter what we do, we cannot cause the Almighty Father to stop loving us. Nothing can change the way He feels us." - T.D. Jakes

Our Almighty Father shows us His love in a very different way than other people or our leaders do. Man's love is subject to many restrictions, especially if we are part of an organization or an institution rather than a family.

Hearing You Are Loved

By Ianpassion

No matter how strong or tough we may be, everyone needs to hear that we are loved. We especially need to hear it from our parents. Our hearts long to hear the words "this is my dearly loved son" or "this is my dearly loved daughter." 

If the Son was going to walk confidently and carry the love of the Abba Almighty to humanity, he needed that love from the Father to be established in His heart. Notice in the Scripture that love was expressed through spoken words. The Son needed to hear His Father speaks love to Him. 

I Doubt His Love For Me | What Should I Do?

By Ianpassion
Picture was taken at Viewpoint Manang, Satun, Thailand, 2020

The thorny vine I discovered while hiking in the jungle reminded me of how the Son suffered for mankind. He deserved the best crown as King, but a thorny crown was forced on His head, causing Him to bleed and groan in agony.

The torment was endured by the Son. I'm still amazed at how much He valued humanity. There will be no curse from Him on those who betrayed, denied, and tortured Him. Isn't that incredible? He could have ignored us and left us to suffer the consequences of our wrongdoing.

Agape: Reflecting This Again At Langu Beach, Satun, South of Thailand

By Ianpassion

Sunset at Langu Beach, Satun, Thailand 2018

Staring the sun descending behind the horizon and pondering as the canvas of the blue ocean turning its color to orange are among the outdoor activities that we love to do. 

It was valentines day, the year 2018. I learned a lesson from the past that having this day just a normal day can be a cause of friction in our relationship.  

Relativism: Is There Really An Absolute Truth?

By Ianpassion 

We are now in a society that if we are not careful enough we will be swayed away. 


A relativist says that what is true to you can be false to me and what is true to me can be false to you. This happens when the sole basis of our values is omitted, the absolute truth is replaced with reasons, and respect to multiculturalism and diversity at the expense of compromise and apostasy. 

What If Our Good Is Not Good Enough?

By Ianpassion

I was having my morning Thai coffee and grilled sticky rice while reflecting on our involvement in developing our communities, reaching out to the less fortunate people– the poor and the marginalized. 

It is in the nature of us to be good to someone, to a friend, or community that is suffering. However, have we ever asked ourselves: what if our good is not good enough?

Fears Took Over My Life

By Ianpassion

My life changed when I encountered the Father’s love. I was like the eldest son in a parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). What I understood work is the benchmark for approval. 


I used to believe that if I work very hard and go to bed late then the Father would love me. I thought I would be accepted if I performed well and produced impressive results.

Unveiling Passion: Discovering Heartfelt Desires and Fulfillment

By Ianpassion
Photo was taken at Mt. Apo, Philippines

What do our hearts truly desire? What brings us excitement and makes us come alive? What turns us off and what ignites our enthusiasm? Someone once told me, "Being a businessman is my profession, but my passion is ministry."

 

Our heart serves as the epicenter of our vision, affections, desires, ambitions, and dreams. It encompasses the entirety of our life's passions. What we deeply love and genuinely care about originates from our hearts.

How the Father's Love Revealed in this Christmas Season?

By Ianpasion
Photo credit: washington.com

I was so busy in the past few days, but today I have some time to write about my reflection on the Father's love revealed at the place where the Son was born. 

You might ask, what is new about the birth of the Son? It is a kindergarten story. Whatever possible reasons you have, allow me to simply elaborate on three important things about the Father's love through the birth of His Son. It is a fact that Christmas history began with the story of the Son 2,000 years ago when Rome was still in power. Some might deny this fact, but history tells us that there was a baby wrapped and placed in a manger. 

An Open Letter Of The Father For His Child

By Ianpassion 

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you
(Psalm 139). 

I know when you sit down and when you rise
(Psalm 139:2). 

I am familiar with all your ways
(Psalm 139:3).

What Is A Spiritual Family?

By Ianpassion

Our Heavenly Father did not create man because He is lonely. He is already completely satisfied with Himself because He is Love (1 John 4:8). He created you and me to share the beauty of His family with us.

His nature is relational, as He has revealed in family terms: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The Trinity exemplifies what a family should be like, with each member agreeing and supporting one another. Since then, the Father, Son, and Spirit have shared the most important value: Love. 

He Wanted You To Be His Child

By Ianpassion

Many believers these days still do not understand their real identity, or maybe you are one of them. You have reached a crossroads of your spiritual confusion and began to ask yourself,  "Who Am I?. Am I a servant or a  child of Loving Father?”  

Like Moses, he was confused if he was a foreigner or a chosen. So when he saw a slave-master maltreating his fellow, he ended this by putting the law in his own hands. He was afraid so he hid. He asked himself, "What if the Emperor would know that he sided with the slaves?” 

What Is A Borderless Love?

By Ianpassion

The passage teaches us that love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (I Corinthians 13:6). 


It means, love enables us to hate the evil while valuing the one who committed the act. More simply hate the sin, but love the sinner.