DeVern Fromke is the author of Ultimate Intention – a book that revolutionized my understanding of God’s mission when I was in my 20s.
Fromke ministered with T. Austin-Sparks, the man who has had the greatest impact on my work. Fromke also ministered with Stephen Kaung, another mentor of mine (and a co-worker to Watchman Nee).
Here’s a photo of the three of them together.
I met Fromke when I was 28. Since then, I’ve made it a priority to keep in regular contact with him via phone, email, and through in-person meetings. I sought him out and made hearing him speak a priority.
One of the saddest things in life is to have the opportunity to be in the presence of greatness, and let it pass by. DeVern Fromke was a great man. And I thank God for seizing every opportunity to sit at his feet and learn from him, even when it was inconvenient.
Fromke went to be with the Lord last Friday (October 28th, 2016). And heaven is now richer.
He was 93 years old. I recall seeing Fromke in Titusville one year. After he spoke, I spent a lot of time with him in someone’s home, hearing about his relationship to T. Austin-Sparks as he rehearsed stories I had never heard or read.
While Devern and I kept in contact with each other by email throughout the years, the last time I spoke to him by phone was on March 1, 2006.
One of the honors to me personally was that he would read my books and send me complimentary emails about them. Here’s his endorsement of From Eternity to Here.
“I appreciate this message so much. It is a very clear articulation of the subject and will press folks to that one thing I hold most necessary: daily fellowship.”
There is a lesson to be learned.
Regrettably, I meet so many Christians in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who have made the fleeting things of this life their chief priority.
They see no need for mentors. And so they will blithely decline life-altering opportunities to learn from those who are ahead of them. All because it’s too “inconvenient.”
The good news is that there’s still time to adjust our priorities. Few things in life are more important than learning from those who are ahead of you and making valuable connections.
In one of my podcast episodes — 5 Reasons to Have a Mentor — I sketch out some critical reasons why having a mentor is crucial. You can check it out here – the page also has some key articles on mentoring that say much more.
Related: DeVern Fromke: His Best Work
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