By Melanie Patterson
The North Jefferson News
Dr. Stan Cooke has been fielding plenty of phone calls lately from some nervous folks.
“Under the current circumstances, with everything going on in the world ... our church has been bombarded with people asking, ‘Is this the end? Is Jesus coming back now?’” said Cooke, pastor of Kimberly Church of God. “We probably get four or five calls a week on our answering machine.”
That is why Kimberly Church of God is hosting a prophesy series starting in April. Cooke, who has earned two Ph.D.s, has much experience in teaching Bible prophesy in South America, Jerusalem and in various places in the U.S.
Cooke said that other pastors and experts will also be teaching during the prophesy series, including Mark Correll, former pastor of Cathedral of the Cross in Center Point.
Correll has committed to appearing as a guest speaker once a month during the prophesy series. He will feature “prophesy in the news” and prophetic current events, according to Cook.
“We’re going to systematically go through Scripture and teach people what Bible prophesy actually is, about what’s been fulfilled and what is yet to be fulfilled,” said Cooke. “We’re just trying to help the community know and answer the question, ‘Is the end near?’”
He said that due to fears in the community, now is the time to start addressing that question.
When he receives calls from nervous people in the community, Cooke said he simply tries to alleviate fears by telling people the truth.
“We show them how many prophesies have actually been fulfilled in the Old Testament and the New Testament, how many are left to be fulfilled, and what that means for them,” said Cooke. “We show them what they should be looking for and what they should be studying.”
He said one question people are particularly asking about is the so-called “2012 Doomsday Prediction,” which has been made popular in recent years by books, television specials and Web sites.
Some of the Web sites offer tips on how to survive the cataclysmic event. One can even purchase T-shirts and other merchandise promoting the supposed doomsday.
In response, there is a special at the church on March 29 called “Doomsday 2012: The End of Days,” featuring a video and teaching on Bible prophesy and the return of Christ by Correll.
Cooke said those seeking spiritual advice about the future will find answers during the prophesy series. He said there will be plenty of material handed out to the crowd for them to take home and study further.
“I just hope it helps,” said Cooke.
The prophesy series starts on April 19 (Easter) and will be held every Sunday, 6 p.m., at Kimberly Church of God, located at 9108 Jefferson Street, just off U.S. Hwy. 31 in Kimberly.
It begins and ends with Jewish feasts, ending on Sept. 27 with Yom Kippur.
To learn more, call Kimberly Church of God at 647-5374 or visit the church’s Web site: www.kimberlycog.com.
