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Discussion Forum : Articles and Sermons : A Secret Of Effective Service by DeVern Fromke

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 A Secret Of Effective Service by DeVern Fromke

Years ago I heard of an incident which greatly impressed itself upon my memory. The essence of the story was this: A man of God was drawing much attention because of his unusual ministry and effectiveness in a certain community. The local newspaper editor was so impressed that he sent one of his able reporters to interview the minister and learn the secret of his success.

When the reporter arrived, he discovered a room filled with others who were waiting to see the minister. While he waited and waited, he became impatient. It seemed that no one was going in to the busy man’s study. The reporter decided to ask the man’s wife, and she tried graciously to answer for her husband.

“What is the secret of your husband’s success?” the reporter asked. “He seems to be spending a lot of time in there with someone while all the rest of us are kept waiting.”

The wife detected the concern of the reporter and replied, “I know it seems almost rude for him to keep all you folk waiting, and some of the people have such desperate problems needing prompt attention. But you see, here is really the answer to his effectiveness. Since early morning he has seen no one, but has been talking with the ONE who has the answers. When he does come out – and it may be some time yet – he will have God’s Word and answer for each inquirer. You see, actually no time has been lost.”

The reporter left with the discovered secret but with a different kind of story than he had expected.

Living in Christ’s presence means living in the divine viewpoint. It calls to mind the wise counsel of Samuel Brengle, saint of the Salvation Army: “If I were dying and had the privilege of delivering a last exhortation to all the Christians of the world and that message had to be condensed into three words, I would say, ‘Wait on God!’”

He then went on to add: “There is a drawing nigh to God – a knocking at heaven’s door, a pleading of the promises, a reasoning with Jesus, a forgetting of self, a turning from all earthly concerns, a holding on with determination to never let go – that puts all the wealth of ­heaven’s wisdom and power and love at the disposal of a little man, so that when all others tremble and fail and fly, he shouts and triumphs and becomes conqueror in the very face of death or hell.”

Samuel Brengle had learned the laws of ultimacy, priority, sequence, order, timing, and placing which are the means of spiritual efficiency and effectiveness. In short, Brengle had learned the secret of making one’s time count, for in waiting on Him, no time is ever lost – it is redeemed!


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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2017/12/10 19:35Profile
AbideinHim
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Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
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 Re: A Secret Of Effective Service by DeVern Fromke

DeVern Fromke has identified the secret to all effective ministry, which is waiting on God. This is so different from the techniques that are being used today by many well known ministries in order to get exposure and notoriety.

Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. If the Son of God spent much time in prayer waiting on the the instructions of His Father for the day, how much more do we need to wait on God, hear His voice, and commit our way to Him, so that he may direct our paths.


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Mike

 2017/12/22 10:22Profile
MrBillPro
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Joined: 2005/2/24
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 Re:

Nice, I like that Brother Mike.


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Bill

 2017/12/22 10:28Profile
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Joined: 2017/7/14
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 Re: A Secret Of Effective Service by DeVern Fromke


I agree and then I heartily disagree. Such a work of God is NEVER just one thing. The article is suggesting protracted prayer time is the secret. It's only part of the secret.
Faith linked with prayer, faith linked with belief in promises, promises made and kept by a faithful Savior, intercessions, and prayers of others, being filled with the Spirit of God, believing God to do the impossible in peoples lives. These are all a part of the 'secret'.

Whenever you read a reductionist argument even as spiritual as this is and as wonderful a result is obtained, do not romanticize protracted prayer as the 'missing' ingredient for all situations. As you grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior you realize what is missing in one recipe is abundant in another, therefore the 'missing element' cannot be relegated to simply finding that 'one thing' lacking.
You will not find me attempting to dissuade anyone from protracted prayer, but ask those who have been doing it, they will tell you prayer is only part of it, prayer made the way for obedience or for faith or for boldness or for a great outpouring of the Spirit.
But to those onlookers who do not spend much time in protracted prayer, it all looks as if only one element is the causation for such gracious acts of God.


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Marvin

 2017/12/22 15:05Profile
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 Re:

I know to some what I write is always a contest, a confrontation, yet, is everything we read to go without any testing? Is everything written by someone we suppose to be an authority or wise or experienced to go uncheck or adopted wholesale without discernment?

For me, this is impossible.

As this article does relay a wonderful truth about God, is it all the truth? I say its only part, as what I say is always only in part.


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Marvin

 2017/12/22 15:13Profile
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 Re:

Marvin, do you have a layman’s terms version of what you just said. :-)
Marvin for the record, I love what you write, but this old country boy only has a high school education.


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Bill

 2017/12/22 15:16Profile
InTheLight
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Joined: 2003/7/31
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 Re: A Secret Of Effective Service by DeVern Fromke

Quote:
Living in Christ’s presence means living in the divine viewpoint.



Mr. Fromke really has a great way of bringing out this principle of seeing things from the divine perspective. Many of his writings have terrific insight in this area. We must allow God to lift us up to see in the spirit what the natural man is blind to.

The Lord is calling us ever deeper into living in His presence in these days, I am learning that God can be nearer than any circumstance that may come my way. This is the only way to survive the intense pressure of these days.

In Christ,


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Ron Halverson

 2017/12/22 16:56Profile
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 Re:

Marvin,

Here you go again criticizing an article by a dear brother, and making a statement that he never said and that is untrue and without merit.

You ought to read a few books by DeVern Fromke before you criticize his teaching, and you would find out that he is not just about one thing, but he actually sees the big picture.

"Mr. Fromke really has a great way of bringing out this principle of seeing things from the divine perspective. Many of his writings have terrific insight in this area. We must allow God to lift us up to see in the spirit what the natural man is blind to."

Ron, have you read any of DeVern Fromke's books such as "No Other Foundation, "Unto Full Statrure", and "Ultimate Intention"?


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Mike

 2017/12/22 18:49Profile
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 Re:

Hi Mr Bill: Sadly and ashamedly I graduated high school with a C- average, I have no more formal education.
My verbiage was not intended to muddy simple explanations.
In short, protracted prayer (extended prayer time by an individual or a group, whether it be hours or days) is a valuable and needed part of God's gracious workings. The secret is not exposed by discovering a time of focused intercessions brings powerful results, the "secret" (if there truly is any) is always a combination of God's graces combined and working in an individual or a group to bring about the plan God had initiated.

I have found it to be misleading to Christians when an author, leader or teacher declares "the secret" is such-and-such a thing. This misleading is understood as misleading when additional elements such as faith or God's faithfulness or obedience is added to "the secret".
As a result, biblical truth is piecemealed in a way that creates wrong understandings about "the secret" thing.
In years past, the key to blessing=tithing. The key to love=compassion. The key to faith=bible knowledge. The key to victory=the Cross of Christ. All of these are true, but their purpose in Christ was never isolated from the other elements of faith.
"the word preached mixed with faith" "Faith operating in love" Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, etc.
If these things be in you and abound...2 peter 1.
The apostles link them because these things are not 'secret' stand alone ideas.
Judging is linked to righteous living, love is linked to edification, the gifts are linked to building the body of Christ.
When I declare 'the secret of building the Church' is "love" I have only told part of the truth regarding what it is to build the household of God.
Though I show a hundred godly examples of "love" building and leave out "love rejoices in the truth", I am leaving out essential elements necessary for building God's people.
Without being tedious, I hope this clarifies things.


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Marvin

 2017/12/22 19:01Profile
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Joined: 2017/7/14
Posts: 1165
Snoqualmie, WA

 Re:


Hi Mike:

Allow me a little clarification.
The question was raised..
“What is the secret of your husband’s success?” the reporter asked. “He seems to be spending a lot of time in there with someone while all the rest of us are kept waiting.”

The answer..
Since early morning he has seen no one, but has been talking with the ONE who has the answers.
The assumption
The reporter left with the discovered secret/

I had not criticized Brother Fromke in any way, what I disagreed with was the assumption that "the secret" was the preachers 'intercessions alone' is the sole secret to it all.

It is not the sole reason for the gracious acts of God.

I am not unfounded as to my offered corrective, you yourself admitted
quote: "that he is not just about one thing"
I have not spoken one thing derogatory regarding the article or of the blessed prayers that were offered and God's answer with such power.
I have stated clearly there is more to this than the reporter seemed to grasp.

If you agree there is more, then we are in agreement, for I have alleged no more than that.

There is in our Christian culture a number of "secret" things declared in books now revealed for Christians to read and thereby obtain the blessings once they know the secret. But they all find out, there is no solitary secret truth that alone will bring the grace of God.

It is this idea that a 'solitary truth' disconnected from the rest of scripture is their recipe for whatever they need. It is misleading.

Even articles like this one feed a mindset ( and I am not presuming yours mike) that scripture truth can be diced up to offer help to God's people; when they find that their prayer didn't work because they exercised no faith or stood upon no specific biblical promise, or they forsook to obey the Lord...they find diced-bible is incapable of nurturing a healthy walk with Christ.

I would hope that Brother Fromke (if he could) read my postings would agree, there is more and that if Brother Fromke were to be asked: "do you think the reporter could learn a little more about the wonderful workings of God besides prayer?" Do you think for a moment he would say..No way, prayer is all there is! I would venture to say...Brother Fromke would say "no, there is so much more".

Which is all I am saying...but with the exhortation to avoid 'secret' making pieces of the bible.

Upon further consideration, you might have well guessed the 'secret-of' is a phrase coined by the ignorant, not by the student of scripture.


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Marvin

 2017/12/22 19:40Profile





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