May 2014 New Horizons

Making Progress in Uruguay

by Mark E. Richline

“A small country nestled between Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay has long been one of the region’s most progressive countries.” Such was the statement made by a reporter for The Economist on the heels of the nation’s vote to legalize abortion. Uruguay has long been recognized as the most secular state in South America, having declared itself separate from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in the early twentieth century. It was among the first countries to remove any biblical influence from the education system and to legalize divorce. Recent Progressive Developments in Uruguay More recently, the government has pushed hard to be viewed as a “progressive” nation similar to the United States and European nations. This push to be progressive has led to the legalization of abortion, marijuana, and gay marriage—all within the past two years. Although such moves are viewed as progressive, in the eyes of God they destroy entire societies. Thankfully, the Lord uses his church ... Read more

Japan: The Land of Opportunity

by Kazuhiko and Katie Yaegashi

America may be the land of business or educational opportunities, but we think Japan is the land of opportunities to share the gospel. From greeting neighbors with “God made a beautiful day today, didn’t he?” to preaching the full gospel openly and regularly, we feel completely free to talk about the love of God. Recently we read a reminder that the reason we tell the good news to unbelievers is that Jesus told us to do so. Of course, that is a necessary part of our philosophy of evangelism. But we also believe from the bottom of our hearts that sharing what Christ has done and can do for poor sinners is the most interesting and satisfying way to live life. Another exciting aspect of missionary work in Japan is knowing that we may be the only ones who will ever tell most of our contacts about the love of God in Jesus Christ. They won’t hear it from their parents, their school teachers, or their friends. They won’t hear it on the radio, on TV, or on the Internet. The information is out there ... Read more

God’s Law: Your Friend or Your Foe?

by Larry E. Wilson

Do you see God’s law as your friend or as your foe? In an age when so much Christian teaching is saturated with moralism, at first blush it seems refreshing to see a growing trend emphasizing gospel over law. Is it truly refreshing? Or is it possibly overreacting? Notice, in 1 Timothy 1:8–11, that verse 8 insists “that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,” while verse 11 stresses that this is “in accordance with the gospel.” In that light, let us consider three principles. 1. God’s Law Is Good. First, God’s law is good: “We know that the law is good” (v. 8). When verse 9 follows by saying “that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless,” it does not say “the law” in the original; rather, it just says “law.” You see, it’s not talking about the whole Mosaic covenant with all its regulations. It’s talking about the moral core of all those regulations; it’s talking about what we call “the moral law.” Notice how verses 9 and 10 go on ... Read more