Jeremiah Prison Ministry Newsletter
JPM is an outreach of Martinsburg Christian Center, Martinsburg, WV
JUNE 2016
Revs. Tom & Monica
OUR MISSION & VISION
Our Mission – to help men in
prison reach their fullest in the
Lord.
What we do – Ministering to their
spirit, soul and body, though one
on one mentoring as their spiritual
advisor and friend.
How we began – Jeremiah Prison
Ministry began on November 30,
1999, which was birth out of a
bond for a young man that made a
wrong choice in life.
Our Vision –It hasn’t changed but
security has and won’t allow us to
go into the Chapels. So we
continue to do one on one to God
Be The Glory!
94 men have been released in 16
years. We are ministering to 62
inmates in 4 states.
Celebrated 16 years of Prison Ministry in 2015
I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME – MATT. 25:36B
We are serving Him by serving them! His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1
VOLUME 16, ISSUE 07
JUNE ALMOST GONE… YEP I’M LATE!
Yes I am running late getting out June’s newsletter. My vision is playing games good
ones though.. I am in need of a new prescription. My distant vision has gotten
better but my reading and computer vision has changed and my glasses aren’t
working. I am hanging in here. We both go for our exam for glasses in early July with
our vision plan.
We are both doing well and give God the Glory!
We are loving the warm weather and hope are to. Our flower garden is beautiful. I
didn’t have to add any flowers to it this year. I do need to get out there and trim the
dead blooms. Every time I want go out and do it we get rain. It’s called life.
PRISON RESTENCING FOR JUVENILE LIFERS RETRO JANUARY 25, 2016.
The juvenile lifers we minister to are meeting with their lawyers and are
having courting hearings. We are getting a few reports from each of them.
I found an article online at the Office of Victims’ Advocates of PA. Here is a
portion of the article:
While Juvenile Offenders Get a Second Chance, Do Not Open the Cell Doors Just Yet
A word of caution – do not open the cell doors quite yet, because judges maintain their
discretion under the Miller decision to conclude that particular juvenile offenders convicted
of homicide are, in fact, intrinsically incapable of redemption and will never be fit to reenter
society. This decision, based on the factors required by 18 Pa. C.S. § 1102.1 to be on the
record, will likely be part of a hearing at Courts of Common Pleas. Next, assuming that the
sentencing court determines that parole is a possibility, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation
and Parole will also need to decide whether a former juvenile offender deserves the grace of
parole, or will remain incarcerated. While the parole process is not as formal as a court
proceeding, the Prison and Parole Code, 61 Pa. C.S. §§ 6134, 6135, and 6137 requires the
Board decision makers to review many records, including recommendations from the District
Attorney, Sentencing Judge, and Prison Officials. Further, the Crime Victims Act, 18 P.S. §
11.502 (b), directs that the victim or the victim’s representative shall be permitted to appear
in person and provide testimony before the panel or majority of those Parole Board
members charged with making the parole release decision. The decision making process
takes time, and does not happen overnight. Even if the offender is paroled, he or she will
likely be subject to parole supervision for the rest of his or her life
Here is what we know for sure the Montgomery decision will have a definite impact in 479
cases in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as the lives of the over 300 victims
involved in those cases.
The Department of Corrections, Parole Board, and Office of Victim Advocate will work
together with local counties to determine the exact process to ensure a timely review. Crime
victims will have opportunities to share their grief, vent their anger, express their concerns,
and provide their opinion to decision makers before the former juvenile offender is released
from prison, if that outcome even occurs. Like everything else, the process begins with one
step and moment at a time.
Continue to pray for mercy and favor!
We thank you for your support and prayers for these sustain us!
Page 2
Keeping you informed
SCOTUS in a 6 -3 decision
rules in favor of
retroactive resentencing
on January 25, 2016.
Praise the Lord!
PRAYER CORNER
~Pray for Jeremiah & Val, Chris,
Harvey, Kevin, Mike, & Richard that
God continues to bless them
spiritually & financially.
~Pray for Larry, Ricky, Lewis, Corey,
Bob, Greg, Eric, Dan & Nathan to
receive favor for commutation,
retrials, resentencing & parole.
~Pray for continued healing for Bob &
Larry. God is moving!
~Pray for Harvey’s complete
recovery, he is doing well.
~Pray for our granddaughter, Leah,
as she comes off meds. Leah got
engaged and turned 21 in May! PTL
~Pray for Andy, our grandson got
engaged and moved to OH, new job!
~Pray for Dale our son-in-law, cancer
free.
~Pray for all our families- spiritually,
physically and financially.
~Pray for my brother, Norman
Pray for Tom’s mother, Virginia.
~Pray for the salvation of the world.
Pray for inmates and their families,
our Nation, elections, our leaders, our
military, t and their families.
~Pray for prison reform in our nation.
~Pray for Bill our dear friend & his
wife Rose for good health.
~Pray for Dotty & her husband Stan
for good health.
~Pray for us for strength and wisdom
in all we do, that we remain cancer
free and healthy to do God’s work, for
our cars to be mechanically sound.
You are an Extended Hand and
a vital part of this ministry.
Together we are making a
difference with Jesus Christ,
taking life to a dark place! We
go because you send us.
Thank You so much!
We traveled 12,585 miles for the
ministry in 2015! Praise the Lord!
Jeremiah Prison Ministry
Revs. Tom & Monica Cohee
223 Cameo Dr.
Fayetteville, PA 17222
717-352-0080 (o) (f)
info@jeremiahprisonministry.com
We’re on the Web!
www.jeremiahprisonministry.com
Your Editor: Rev. Monica Cohee
PASTOR TOM’S PREACHING CORNER
OVERCOMING FAILURES
For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon,
I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to
return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future
and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I
will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will
gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the
LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 NKJV
The Bible says many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him
out of them all.
Failure makes you want to quit and takes away your courage. That’s why Jesus
told us that we should always pray and never give up.
When you’ve experienced failure in your life, don’t give into fear. Fear will try to
control you. When you allow fear to control you, you will make wrong decisions.
The disciples were going from one side of the lake to the other, when suddenly a
storm blew into their lives. When you’re going somewhere in your life, a storm will
arise to try and make you afraid.
Fear paralyzes you and keeps you from fulfilling your purpose. God has a purpose
for everyone of us, and we can’t give into the fears that come against us.
When you experience failure, learn to submit your life to God. Most of our failures
are because we did things our way instead of God’s way.
If you love the Lord, rest assured that He has His hand on your life. Sometimes He
has to put you on the Potter’s wheel to dig out the impurities. God is working His
plan in your life.
When you experience failure… You learn what not to do. You learn how to make
changes in your life. You learn that it’s a stepping stone for your future.
It’s your attitude in the failure that determines how you will come out. If you have
the wrong attitude, you will look at failure and blame
everybody else. If you have the right attitude, you will look at failure and realize
that
it’s nothing more than a stepping stone to your future.
The enemy’s plan is for you to be so discouraged that you quit. Discouragement
makes you see everything through a filter, so you think the worst.
Everything is subject to change when you’re serving the Lord Jesus Christ. God is a
restoring God, and He has something great planned for your future.
If you feel like quitting today… Get back in the Word. Get back to prayer. Get back
into church.
The difference between a success and a failure is whether or not you choose to
quit. Failure is not when you fall down because everybody falls down. Failure is
when you refuse to get back up or try again.
No matter who we are, we all want to be a success in life. Most of us will do
anything to avoid failure. However, failure is a part of life. The Bible says that we
all stumble in many ways.
When you fail, remember that it’s not the end of the world. Many times it’s the
beginning of something new. It’s the stepping stone to where God is directing you.
Don’t stay captive to the failures of your past. Make the decision to move forward
with your life.