Jeremiah Prison Ministry Newsletter

JPM is an outreach of Martinsburg Christian Center, Martinsburg, WV Celebrated 13 years of Prison Ministry in 2012
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 13, ISSUE 05

APRIL 2013

Revs. Tom & Monica

We went from A/C back to heat

We had several days of warm weather and turned the A/C on.so excited too. But then a week later back on goes the heater. I am sure we will go straight into summer, ha. But my neighborhood birdies are still chirping and singing away. The pear trees are blooming and the flowers are coming up in the flower garden. We have had a busy month going to the prisons, doctor appointments, and final details for our church organization district convention. By the time you get this newsletter the district convention will be over. We were many hats! Tom last year had the opportunity to minister 20 times in three states, and we made 62 prison visits in 5 PA state prisons. We traveled over 16,445 miles for ministry last year. We do stay busy! Good news we are doing fine health wise! PTL Halleluiah!!! Please continue to pray for us and know we are making it with Jesus! Juvenile Lifers.. An update. Wow I have been asleep or something. The PA legislature passed a bill in October 2012 and Gov. Corbert signed it into law. The new act bans mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles convicted on or after June 25, 2012 -- the date of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The amended juvenile sentencing guidelines for first-degree murder now carry a maximum sentence of life without parole and a minimum of 35 years to life if the juvenile was 15 or older at the time of the crime. If younger than 15, a juvenile could be sentenced to life without parole or a minimum of 25 years to life. If convicted of second-degree murder, the sentencing guidelines are 30 years to life for minors 15 or older and 20 years to life for minors under 15. Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Bucks and Montgomery counties, the sponsor of the bill that amended juvenile killer sentencing, said the legislature intentionally avoided the question of retroactivity. Greenleaf said the U.S. Supreme Court "normally provides some direction. They didn't. "Now, it's going to be up to the local courts to decide whether it should be retroactive. "I (Greenleaf) personally believe it should be retroactive. It wouldn't have been feasible to get that passed. So the compromise was, some thought it should be, some thought it shouldn't be, as a result we left it up to the court. It is pending now in front of our state Supreme Court. In September, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard argument in two juvenile lifer cases. The questions before that court were: whether U.S. Supreme Court ruling is retroactive; what is the correct avenue of appeal; and what relief are the inmates entitled to? The court has not issued an opinion yet. York County Judge Richard K. Renn, during a hearing requesting resentencing for two juvenile lifers in September, commented, "Our Supreme Court is not known for going out on a limb and issuing advisory opinions." After Corbett signed the bill into law, Renn himself raised the question: What's the difference between a juvenile convicted of murder on June 24 and a juvenile convicted of murder on June 25? This article was written on February 10, 2013 by Rick Lee NOTE: There still is hope! Keep praying there will be a lot of cases before this is over. I apologize for not doing follow up research sooner.

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! 69 men have been released in 13 years. We still are ministering to 68 inmates in 5 states.

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

Page 2 Keeping you informed about the PA Courts to change the sentencing laws for juvenile offender serving life without parole. Keep praying its not over yet! PRAYER CORNER ~Pray for Kevin, Mike, Domingo, 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. ~Pray our granddaughter Leah remains cancer free. She graduated from high school and now has a job. ~Pray for Andy our grandson, he carries a 4.0 avg. at DSU. He will have more surgery in May. ~Pray for all 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!

Pastor Toms Preaching Corner

WHY AM I ON THIS EARTH?

Colossians 1:16 NKJV For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or power. All things were created through Him and for Him. It is important to know the purpose of your life is not Love The about you but about Him. Lord With The purpose of your life is to bring pleasure to God. All Of Your It is about letting God work in your life for His Heart! purpose. You can make all the money in the world and still miss the purpose God has for your life. Unless the Lord is first in your life, nothing will make any sense. God created everything in this world, but you are the most valuable of all His creation. Unless you tap into Gods love you will be driven to look for happiness. Many people are driven by success. Many people are driven by money and things. Acquiring more things only provides temporary happiness. Life on earth is merely preparation for the next life with the Lord in eternity. God has a promise for every believer that loves the Lord Jesus Christ. That promise is He has prepared an eternal home for us. That promise is He will reward our faithfulness in heaven. The question is What is going on in your life thats stopping your relationship with the Lord? As Christians we cannot be totally fulfilled on this earth because God created us for something better. Dont get distracted over the trials and tribulations that come your way. God allows us to go through problems, so we dont get attached to this world. Know that pain and trials can be good if it drives you to find Gods purpose. Pain is Gods way of waking you up spiritually Its Not The greatest objective of our lives should be: about a. To love the Lord with all of our hearts, more than a You, its career. about b. To trust the Lord with all of our hearts, more than Him! our finances. You were made to be a part of Gods family. God values family and relationships. The enemy does everything he can to break up the family. God commands us to assemble as a Church family. Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments. You will never understand the meaning of life until you understand love. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. Once you start loving, life will take on a whole new meaning. If you learn to love the Lord on earth you will never be separated from Him in eternity. Its not too late to love God and have a relationship with Him.

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 Your Editor: Rev. Monica Cohee