GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue # 777 April 9, 2003 Grandma Joyce Last night after supper, Kathy and I dropped Kyle off at his friend's house for senior high boys Bible study then we headed into the city to visit a friend in the hospital. Joyce is an elderly saint who had fallen earlier in the week and broken her hip. I don't know her whole life story. I do know that she went through some rough times but came out on the other side as a woman of rock solid faith. She's a grandmother figure for many of the youth in our congregation and she intercedes on their behalf in prayer regularly. She shares her faith with others whenever the opportunity arises. She knows her Bible better than most pastors I have met. She has the word committed to her heart and uses it as a normal part of her daily conversation. In many congregations, the older generation has taken time off from serving because they feel that they have done their share. There is no doubt that many of these older saints have done a lot in the service of the Lord, but Joyce is a living testimony to the fact that there is no retirement age for Christians. As long as He leaves us here, we have work to do. Scripture is full of examples of people who served well past what might be considered "retirement age". Here are just a few examples. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:11-12 NIV Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. Exodus 7:7 NIV Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. Genesis 17:17-19 NIV There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38 NIV If you think that because you've aged a little God is done using you think again. Service in the Lord's army is life long. Until next time, if you have one of those elderly saints in your life let them know how much they mean to you. If you are one of those saints, I praise God for you. Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!  Kevin  We are in the process of enlarging our prayer team. If you think you might be interested drop us an email with the subject line "Prayer Team" and we'll send you more information. YOU ARE  Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are enlightened  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. Perhaps you think you're too old or too set in your ways to be made right with God. No one is too old. Even if you are a hundred or more, God would still delight in forgiving you, setting you free and allowing you the privilege of serving in His army. You are never too young or too old to be made right with God. Get right with Him today! If you want to know how that's possible simply email us and we'll send you some Bible verses that will explain it to you. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at  Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS  BACK ISSUES