Greetings from Bangkok and Seoul!

I’m writing this from the airport in Seoul, South Korea. It was my privilege to travel to Bangkok, Thailand and address pastors and missionaries from southeast Asia. Christian leaders gathered from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, India and even the USA. As a very young boy growing up in South Carolina I remember praying for American POW’s in Vietnam. I never dreamed of one day meeting great Christians from Vietnam!

The conference encouraged the leaders to be theologically driven and not entertainment or personality driven in their ministries. Most churches today are entertainment or personality driven. Many believers say, “I attend my church because I like the music (entertainment driven).” Or, “My pastor has a dynamic personality (personality driven).” Instead, we need to be motivated by the truth. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).”

The prosperity gospel and the health and wealth gospel are devastating the churches of Asia. In a recent survey, seventy percent of the Christians in Myanmar agreed with this statement. “If you have enough faith, God will make you wealthy.” We are not talking about basic needs being met. False teachers say that if a person has enough faith God will make them fabulously wealthy. Jesus came to save us from the wrath of God — our sins — not to make us wealthy in this life.

Again, in Myanmar sixty eight percent of believers agree with this statement. “If you have enough faith, God will heal you.” This false gospel does not fit with their present experiences of persecution and suffering.

We reminded them that in 2 Timothy 1:13-2:2 God spells out four responsibilities for effective ministry. First, teach the truth. “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me…” (verse 13a). Sound words literally means healthy words. Right doctrine produces strong Christians. Second, live the truth. “…in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (verse 13b). The goal is transformation, not information.

Third, guard the truth. “Guard through the Holy Spirit the treasure which has been entrusted to you…” (verse 15). Scripture is the treasure that must be guarded. Jesus died for you and me. We must never lose the gospel. We must treasure it. Fourth, pass the truth on to others. “And the things which you have heard from me, pass on to faithful men who will be able to teach others also…” (verse 2).

Terms like the third world are out. The third world is very 1980s! The new term is majority world. This is the Asian century. As Alaskans we should not fear the Asian century. Too often we view life as a zero sum game. Often we think, “If Asia increases, we must decrease.” That is not necessarily true. We need to understand our role in this brave new world in which we live.

Education in Asia often focuses on memorization and rote learning. In America we are encouraged to be entrepreneurial and leaders. We need to be entrepreneurial in ministry. A person can comfortably live in Malaysia for $1,700 per month. Malaysia encourages Americans to retire in their country. If you can scrape together a net worth of $89,000 the government will give you a ten year visa. Have you ever thought of retiring in Malaysia (a Muslim country) and serving as a missionary to spread the truth of Jesus? The weather is warm and the cost of living is low!

At the conference I met an Indian couple named Samuel and Rebekah. Their marriage was arranged by their parents. Their parents arranged their marriage on October 1. They met for the first time on October 2. They went shopping together on October 3 and were engaged on October 4! Today they have been happily married for three years. They minister to lepers. They started a sewing center to teach young women marketable skills. They boldly teach the Word of God. They begged Christians from the West to come and serve alongside them.

Sociologists tell us the average Christian in the world today is an African woman living in a hut. The next most common Christian today is an Asian woman living in an apartment. We are blessed in Alaska. We have wealth and opportunities most people can only dream about.

Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Martin Luther said, “The Word of God is a lion. Don’t defend the Word of God, simply let it out.” We must live for the glory of God. We must be theologically driven. Our lives must be driven by the truth. We must learn the Word of God. We must teach the Word of God. We must guard the Word of God. We must spread the Word of God. It’s good to be going home but part of my heart is with my brothers and sisters in southeast Asia.

Ethan Hansen is the pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake.