Up To Date News!

Most of us are fascinated by royalty.

How we learn about royalty has changed dramatically in the last 70 years. I remember finding my great aunt Estelle's notebook of important newspaper clippings when my dad was settling her estate in the mid 1960's. In the notebook I found yellowed, crinkled pictures of Queen Elizabeth's coronation. The pictures were pasted in her notebook with the homemade paste my aunt used (flour mixed with water). I remember being surprised at the number of pictures my aunt had found of the coronation. I was even more surprised to realize how fascinated my aunt was with the pageantry of the royal event. She just didn't seem the kind of person to place that much value on the event, but obviously she did!

Then I remember the event of Prince Charles's wedding to Lady Diana. That was before satellite transmission of news. My family and I were glued to the TV waiting for the first plane to arrive in New York from London with a video tape of the event so that it could be telecast in the US. Every hour or so, another plane was dispatched from London with more video. In that manner, we watched the royal wedding only 5 hours after it occurred.

Last night I decided to try to master more of my computer's high speed ability (keep in mind that I am new at surfing the net), and I spent my time locating what I consider the best sources of national and international news (I like to know what's going on in the world). And there it was! A video of President Obama and his wife greeting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in Buckingham palace. Not only could I see the event, but I could hear their conversation. Wow, I never expected to hear what kind of small talk a Queen makes! But there it was! She asked President Obama if he was suffering from jet lag, and he answered that he had just had breakfast with the Russian and Japanese ambassadors, and he hadn't fallen asleep while talking with them. After that, the next video showed Queen Elizabeth standing in line methodically meeting all of the 20 heads of state convening in London for economic talks. She shook each person's hand and said a few words to them individually. It was fascinating for me to look behind the Queen at the palace furniture and the hallway. I am still amazed this morning to realize I could see the royal demeanour of the Queen in these important matters of state and actually be inside her palace and hear her conversation. How remarkable to be able to do that!

From yellowed newspaper clippings, to video tapes flown in by plane, to instant communication by satellite. Technology and information has improved. I marvel!

But even more, I marvel when I read the Bible! It is more up-to-date than the Internet news. There is so much Bible prophecy that has been fulfilled in the last 70 years. But I believe more is about to be fulfilled.

There is prophecy that before the culmination of this age there will be a charismatic leader who will be given control over the whole world. He will seem to be a deliverer from the violence and the economic woes that are in every nation, but in reality he is a wickedly, deceptive person. Many of the things that will happen when this leader reigns are now possible because of the technology that allowed me to see Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham palace last night. This charismatic, wicked leader will lead at a time when people will go here and there searching out ever increasing knowledge, a time when every human being on the face of the earth can be individually monitored for their activity and purchases, and a time when 2 powerful prophets will be killed in Jerusalem and the whole world will be able to simultaneously view their dead bodies in that place for 3 days. All these prophecies can be fulfilled at any time now because of computers, satellite transmission and the Internet. Never before in man's history have these things been possible. Now these things are possible!

And yet, despite all this mushrooming amount of news, technology, and possibilities, what is the most important news for us? What is the most up-to-date matter all of us need to know. Is it how leaders and royalty interact at conferences and in palaces? No. The Bible tells us the one most important thing for us to know. "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3,4

Easter is a little over a week away. At that time we are reminded of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. The Bible proclaims that this yearly remembered event in the history of mankind is the news of first importance. That my sins can be forgiven and that Jesus triumphed over death (and so shall I by simply believing in him) is the most up to date news I'll ever hear. Over this I marvel more than over news about royalty.