|
Welcome to PYCM.ORG
|
Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Steve Matten
|
|
Saturday, 28 August 2010 08:24 |
|
(View our video 'The Least of These' on our video page.)
This is the home of Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries. We are a 501.3c organization that specializes in Evangelical Biblical Ministry to incarcerated, abandoned, neglected, abused and at-risk youth. We invite you to browse our site and get to know what we do and how we do it.
If you like what you see then consider supporting this work through prayer, financial donation or by becoming a volunteer. If you are not local to one of our ministry site then consider starting a ministry in your own area. We offer ministry materials that can get you started or assist an established Juvenile Hall or Children and Family Service ministry close to you. We also offer Chaplain training and placement.
Please contact us via the CONTACT link above.
We are all volunteers and are able to do this work through individual financial support.
Please consider becoming a financial supporter via the DONATE link at the top of this page.
Thank you.
Blessings to you in Christ Jesus or Lord.
Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries
PO Box 8875
Redlands, CA 92375
562/596-5352
Executive Chaplain Steve Lowe
Orange County Juvenile Hall
331 The City Dr. South
Orange, CA 92868
714/935-6365 |
|
Last Updated on Saturday, 24 December 2011 07:10 |
|
|
Written by PYCM
|
|
Monday, 16 August 2010 19:46 |
|
R. Steve Lowe - Founder/President
December 2011
Beloveds,
“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6 New Living Translation)
The Lion of Judah first came as the Lamb of God. Those in waiting braced for a vanquishing Messiah who would crush military might and establish an earthly Kingdom, Messiah sitting on the throne of David forever, a theocracy bringing sovereign rule and with it, perpetual peace. But, as Isaiah had prophesized under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 700 years earlier, Messiah came first as the Suffering Servant, not vanquishing military might (indeed a real and immediate problem) but rather addressing SIN, sins, and separation from God as of first importance. God is a God of order and the first order of business was humankind’s falleness and impending judgment and punishment. As the Apostle John told us, “For God so loved the world He gave his only begotten Son.” The Apostle Paul called this a “free gift” and then wrote entire epistles to unpack the splendor of this gift. A splendor we are called to comprehend and appropriate. A splendor that will naturally compel praise and worship for eternity.
The Apostle John continued by saying “that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Ninety-nine times John tells the reader of his evangelistic non-synoptic gospel that the requirement for receiving the free gift of eternal life is to “believe.” To believe as the bible defines believe is to “trust in and rely upon,” action words indicating more is required than mere mental assent. We trust that God placed our sins on Messiah’s body and we trust that our trust will satisfy a holy and perfect God. But, in reality, we are simply trusting that God will keep His word. He promises that if we trust and rely upon Messiah, his finished work on the cross for our own personal sins, death, burial, and bodily resurrection, we will not perish but have eternal life. God promised it and we can certainly believe it. We trust in and rely upon God who is faithful, even when we are not.
The Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Christ has a name, Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins.” Today He is the Lamb of God, but when He returns He will come as the Lion of Judah. The Suffering Servant will return as the Reigning King. In this grace-filled interim between the two incarnations of Messiah, we are encouraged by God to trust in and rely upon who Jesus is, what he accomplished with his sinless life, death on a cross, and bodily resurrection, and receive the gift of eternal life. The gift is free. Christmas has come!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You too are a gift from God!
R. Steve Lowe, President |
|
Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 November 2011 15:40 |
|
|
Identity Newsletter - September 2011 |
|
|
|
|
Written by Steve Matten
|
|
Saturday, 17 December 2011 08:22 |
|
The identity newsletter features poetry, art and articles contributed by incarcerated youth at Orange County Juvenile Hall, Youth Guidance Center (YGC) and Youth Leadership Academy (YLA).
This issue features art poetry and a testimony like this one:
My Testimony
First and foremost I’d like to send my utmost love and respect to all my brothers and sisters in Juvenile Hall and may God be with you all! At the age of 13, I joined the varrio. I started out like most of you! I did everything the varrio came with. There’s not a thing I didn’t do! Was it a big price to pay? Yes. I lost many things because of it… homeboys, trust, and the one I hated more to lose was my Freedom! I was in and out of the Hall, Joplin, YLA, and not to mention going to Tango 4 times. Not even that could change me, knowing I was facing a lot of years incarcerated! It’s all fun when you join the “game” but is it worth your life behind 4 walls everyday! God put you where you are for a reason. “There’s no such thing as coincidence” when you believe in God. Even if you don’t, God is with you everywhere you go. He knows our past, present, and future! He will always be here for you and me! Give God a chance He will work in his own way. Have faith, believe, and trust in him and you will see how wonderful and beautiful life can be! “July 15” 2011 was the day I was saved. It took me 9 times being incarcerated to finally stop gangbanging. Do I regret my past? No, not in the sense that without it, I wouldn’t be here now, walking with God, accepting his beautiful gifts He has shared with me. And the best to come is being in heaven one day. I’m incarcerated right now in Norwalk CYA. I’m only 17 and I’ve been here 3 times already since I left “JH” in this case “Camp Snoopy.” It’s a lot different here but walking the right way with Jesus is so peaceful. I can tell you it’s way better than anything I’ve ever experienced. “God is Real.” Give him a chance and He will change you! For it is said tomorrow might be “too late.” Change while you can. Gangbanging is not the way. “Jesus Christ IS.” Would you want to keep seeing your loved ones hurt because as we know “blood is thicker than water.” Be honest with yourself. Out of all your homeboys and homegirls, how many are writing to you now? How many are putting money on the phone so you can call? How many are helping your mom with money so she can at least buy you some chips, soda, and hygiene when she comes to visit you? So where’s your backbone now? They ain’t doing the time so they don’t care!! The only one who cares is your mom “family” and of course God. May God be with them and keep them strong! I hope and pray my message touched at least one of you. Keep in mind God is with us Always! He will never leave you! He will hold you and “keep you.” If you receive him, surrender to him, and let your faith do the work. May God be with you all! May He help you and bless you. I send my love and prayers your way!! Be good, be faithful, be strong. God bless you!
(J.A., SRCC) |
|
Last Updated on Saturday, 17 December 2011 19:20 |
|
|
Copyright © 2012 pycm.org. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
RSS Subscribe