In January 2004's TKC we depicted a 1926 British Israel program showing a number of royal persons who believed they were descendants of Jacob Israel. Just a few years earlier, King George VI, then Albert, the Duke of York, recognized his Israel roots. A reader might ask, "Why then is it not widely known or accepted today?" This is a very good question. Admittedly, it is strange, a puzzling factor in God's Great Plan; because during the early part of the 20th Century, the Israel Truth was being revealed at a rapid pace and Israelites everywhere were becoming enlightened. Then the fulfillment of Isaiah 44: 5, "..and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel," almost instantly reversed the trend. After all, people thought, "if they have the name, they must be Israel." Anyway, that, along with the power of all forms of media, has turned the truth to skepticism and to mockery. Often you hear, "I discussed this with my minister and he said no theologian would ever embrace such a view," which, of course, is a slap in the face to the many ministers in the movement at this very moment in time.

In traveling down memory lane, my eye caught a report of a British-Israel-World Federation gathering in 1924. The names might not mean much today but it is interesting to look at a list of just some of the participating ministers of the cloth, which should demonstrate just how wide-spread the message was becoming.

• Rev. Pascoe Goard
• Rev. Arthur Prichard
• Rev. G.B. Barrie
• Rev. P.H. Davies
• Rev. A.B. Grimaldi
• Rev. Commander Roberts
• Rev. Merton Smith
• Pastor H.A. Marchant
• Rev. Kenneth Dodds
• Rev. David Wynne Evans
• Rev. J.B. Gratton
• Rev. W.E. Woodhams Denham
• Rev. W.H. Stuart-Fox
• Rev. Joseph Gay
• Rev. Gregory Bestall
• Rev. G.H. Lancaster
• Rev. J.T. Whitehouse
• Rev. Dr. Dinsdale T. Young

Also in attendance were some of the great Bible scholars of the time, including Henry D. Houghton; there was a cabinet minister from Canada, an ex-premier of New Zealand, an Admiral of the British Fleet, many officers of the military forces, including a general, several doctors and many other professionals. A cordial message of goodwill came from Lord Dysart, a patron of the Federation. David Davidson, the pyramid expert, was also in attendance and I mention his name because he learned the Israel Truth while studying the numerics of the Great Pyramid and very shortly thereafter made the transition from agnostic to Christian.

That week in 1924 proved a great step forward for the True Israel movement as strategy was developed to take the Kingdom message and the Israel Truth throughout all Israel nations. This strategy met with great success until the 1948 happening. Yet, that was then and this is now. Today, we are much closer to Christ's return; indeed, scores of Bible scholars believe it is imminent. We're in an era where the great falling away is blatantly clear, where God has been pushed to the background, where the blessed name of Jesus is constantly being denigrated and where the anti-Christ forces have made such headway that today's Christian theologians are actually taking the lead to water down the very foundation of our belief. Surely we are at that time that Jesus referred to when He said, ".when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18: 8).

If He were to return today, He would only find a pale imitation of the faith of our fathers. Still, from a tiny seed can come a wondrous growth, once that seed has been touched by the miraculous powers of God. Over the past nearly 95 years, this Association and its readers, through their personal ministries, have sown many bountiful seeds, other associations have as well. Then too, how about all those ministers at the 1924 Conference, how many seeds of the Israel Truth did they sow, seeds that were passed from parent to child, seeds lying dormant awaiting those miraculous powers of God. 2003 is over, we cannot change the things we did, nor can we do those things we didn't do. Yet, another year is upon us and our mandate is clear. We must take the time to spread the glorious news of the Gospels of the Kingdom and Salvation, along with news of the Israel Truth, to as many of our brethren around the world as we can possibly reach. Why? Because, time is short.

It won't be easy because as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1: 4, "And [they] will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions." This is why he exhorted us to herald and preach the Word and keep our sense of urgency, whether or not the opportunity seems to be favourable or unfavourable, or welcome or unwelcome. Yes, our mandate is clear.

Hey! Next year at this time, let's take another trip down memory lane. Not a decades old trip, just one through the year 2004. We can let our minds reflect on all the seeds we sowed, all the seeds we helped germinate and as Paul said, on the good race we have run. These will be the greatest memories of all. May God be with us.