Jeremiah Prison Ministry Newsletter

JPM is an outreach of Martinsburg Christian Center, Martinsburg, WV Celebrated 12 years of Prison Ministry in 2011
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 12, ISSUE 11

OCTOBER 2012

Life can change in a minute..

Wow, What an October! I had planned to do our newsletter later in October, which I am doing now but the purpose was a doctor appointment I had and because of the storm I canceled it and rescheduled it in November. I wanted to give an update but oh well life goes on; I will do that next month. I want to let you know that once again Tom got a good report from his urologist at the end of September. He remains PCa free. His five year anniversary will be in April. We continue to believe He is the healed of the Lord. We did weather the storm and didnt lose our electric. God is good! Please pray for the people on the east coast that lost family and homes. So sad!

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 to be able to go into the prison chapels without the inmates having to take us off their visiting list. We know with God ALL things ARE Possible!

We again want to thank you.. We truly appreciate your giving and standing with us, we continue to go to the prisons as we have the cash flow. We thank our prayer partners for standing in the gap for us so we can continue to do the prison ministry! You will never know our gratitude for you standing with us! Juvenile Lifers Update.. I have been reading a lot on juvenile lifers situation throughout the US. Some states have already made adjustments to their laws for juvenile lifers. The PA Supreme Court heard two cases in the middle of September but currently has not made a decision on what they plan to do. Other states are watching PA to see what they decide to do since the state of PA houses the most juvenile life without parole offenders. In Iowa a week after the Federal Supreme Court announced their decision, Gov. Terry Branstad commuted the sentences for 38 juvenile life offenders to life with parole after 60 years. For whatever its worth in my opinion there wasnt even any forethought on his decision, other than he had been anticipating the SCOTUS decision. Of course I am biased since we see juvenile lifers and no one knows what its been like for them being 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 when they committed their crime. I know you have seen me write before that juveniles think differently than adults and one second can change your life forever. Please know I do have compassion for the victims families and can understand what they have gone through but incarcerating a juvenile for life is unconscionable. There does have to be forgiveness from both the victims and offenders, which can only come from God. Please continue to pray that the states dont prolong nor make hasty decisions for the juvenile lifers. The Lighter Side ~ Church Bloopers.. In the evening service, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early & listen to our choir practice. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community. Don't let worry kill you -- let the church help. Thursday night - Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow. The pastor spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience. The preacher will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth With Joy."

Please make sure to use our new address when sending a donation.

Page 2 We are still rejoicing in the SCOTUS ruling! Keeping you informed about the PA Courts to change the sentencing laws for juvenile offender serving life without parole.

Pastor Toms Preaching Corner LETTING GO OF DISCOURAGEMENT

PRAYER CORNER ~Pray for Kevin, Mike, Domino, Michael, & Richard that God blesses them financially. ~Pray for Larry, Ricky, Lewis, Corey, Bob, Greg, & Eric to receive favor for commutation and retrials. ~Pray for Jeremiah as we continue to believe for a miracle for his release. ~Pray for continued healing for Bob, Larry, & Harvey. Leah remains cancer free and will finish high school in the fall. ~Pray for Andy our grandson, he carries a 4.0 avg. at DSU and healing from surgery. ~Pray for our family spiritually, physically and financially. ~Pray continue to for my brother, Norman. Pray for Toms brother, John, as he is on dialysis. ~Pray for the salvation of the world. Pray for inmates and their families, our Nation, our leaders, our military and their families. ~Pray for prison reform in our nation. ~Pray for Bill our dear friend & his wife Rose for restored 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 Gods 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!

Exodus 15:23-25 NKJV Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them. Moses experienced some discouragement in his life. Every time he turned around, the children of Israel disappointed him. The children of Israel constantly criticized him and God. The Bible says that the Lord tested the children of Israel at Marah. Its when It doesnt matter how you go through a bitter situation that you are tested. It is when you are you start out in life. greatly disappointed in life that you are tested. Its in the test that your What matters is how character comes forth and you find whats really inside you. you finish. No matter who we are, we all experience discouragement from time to time. Discouragement means to deprive someone of courage or confidence. To overcome discouragementDont feel sorry for yourself. Let go of your past. Be careful what you say. Choose to speak faith out of your mouth and watch how your attitude begins to change. Proverbs 21:23 says, He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. If we can learn to speak life out of our mouths, then we can save ourselves a whole lot of trouble. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. Speak the right things and our tongues will be a tree of life. Speak improperly and well never overcome discouragement. God can bless you in many different ways, but if youre not careful of the words you speak you can ruin all that God has for you. Jesus said that your words will justify or condemn you. Jesus establishes the connection between the heart and the mouth. He said, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Whatever is in your heart, will come out of your mouth. James gives several examples of the function of the tongue. He says, If you can control your tongue, you can control your entire life. The Bible says that Jesus is the High Priest of our confession. It is our confession that causes Him to move according to what we say. To overcome discouragement, walk by faith and not by sight. Get your eyes on the Lord, and Hell show you the answer to your problem. Remember you have to forgive those who have disappointed you. Anytime discouragement comes into your life, the enemys plan is to get you to quit. His plan is to steal your courage. Paul said, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. It doesnt matter how you start out in life. What matters is how you finish.

Jeremiah Prison Ministry Revs. Tom & Monica Cohee 223 Cameo Dr. 717-352-0080 Fax: 717-352-0392 info@jeremiahprisonministry.com Were on the Web! www.jeremiahprisonministry.com

To Our Family & Friends We love you!

Your Editor: Rev. Monica Cohee