God holds 2023 in His hands
As we enter a new year let us not forget that God dwells in eternity, outside of space and time. All of time is before Him, all at the same time, and God knows the beginning from the end. His love is for those who fear him and his righteousness flows from generation to generation. He has chosen us before creation to be His family in Jesus Christ. Father God, we praise You for revealing to us that Your love is eternal. We exalt You because while we do not know what the future holds, we know You, the one who holds and controls the future. We have the assurance in Your word that our times are in Your hands, and You have a hope and a future for each of us individually. Thank You for renewing Your covenant-faithfulness and love to us every morning; nothing takes You by surprise.
Rescuing 154 people during lethal snowstorms
On 2 January two pastors, Al and Vivian Robinson, made headlines after going out into horrific snowstorms to save people trapped in 12-foot snow drifts that might have frozen them in record breaking -20C wind chill. They had recently sold a rehabilitation centre, and every mattress and bed stored in their church was used by the 154 people they rescued. The previous day they had purchased two weeks’ worth of food for their large family, who were expected for the holidays. That food fed around 130 people in the only building in the area with electricity. People slept and ate in the warm church. The way all these factors came together to meet their community’s needs didn’t surprise Al, who said God equipped them for the moment.
One million have found Jesus since 2017
Sean Dunn has brought one million young people to Christ through Groundwire by meeting young people through technology and opening their eyes to the Gospel message. Some youths look at their phones 100+ times a day. Encountering them where they gather is incredibly effective: using short video pieces that grab their interest, then using sites like JesusCares.com to point them toward Christ. Only a small percentage of this generation will regularly attend church, but the majority will not put down their phones. Sean said, ‘God gave us a strategy to use messaging that captures their attention and prompts them to ask the questions that will lead them in the right direction.’
Sunak’s first major speech of 2023
Rishi Sunak wants all pupils to study maths until the age of 18, arguing that too many of the country’s children are being ‘let down’ by leaving school without the numeracy skills to prosper in the workplace. He is making a shake-up of education beyond the age of 16 one of the defining priorities of his early tenure in No 10. The reorganisation has been in the pipeline for a while and was addressed on 4 January, when Mr Sunak said that one of the biggest changes needed in education is to reimagine our approach to numeracy. Only half of all 16- to 19-year-olds study any maths at all, in a world where data is everywhere and statistics underpin every job. Future jobs will require more analytical skills than ever before. Around eight million adults in England have the numeracy skills of primary school children, according to Downing Street.
