Ras Robinson is reaching thousands with his daily e-mails
At 67 years old, Fort Worth, Texas-based minister Ras Robinson isn’t even thinking about retirement. In fact, the former Southern Baptist–whose first name is pronounced “Razz”–is gearing up for a prophetic conference later this month that follows a leadership summit he conducted in nearby Lindale. Both events are part of his pursuit to “connect the Net,” as he calls it–his effort to church leaders for the greater cause of Christ and missions.
“Revival is coming, and if we will begin to lay down the things that divide us, it’s possible with today’s technology to literally have the world connected to the love of Christ,” he said.
Robinson began using technology in January 2001 to help carry out his mission. About 2,000 subscribers currently receive his daily prophetic e-mail message titled “What the Lord Is Saying Today!”
He takes his spiritual gift seriously. Early every morning, he goes outside and thanks the Lord for the day. Then he asks God what He wants to say and writes down those thoughts as quickly as they come. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn’t receive a reply from someone in response to his e-mail message.
Acknowledging that there can be abuse in the prophetic arena, Robinson believes one of his roles is to pastor those who have prophetic gifts. He will conduct his first prophetic conference Oct. 23-25 at Fullness of Christ Church in Fort Worth, which he and his wife, Bev, founded in 1991.
Formerly the manager of Broadman Products Department for the Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville, Tenn., Robinson was introduced to the Spirit-filled life in 1971. While going through a spiritually dry period, he asked a Spirit-filled Southern Baptist to pray with him.
After their prayer time, Robinson’s life changed.
In 1976, the Robinsons moved to Fort Worth and began attending a Spirit-filled Baptist church called Lake Country Baptist. There, he spoke in tongues for the first time.
“The power of God began to be released in my life at that time,” he said. “That experience had an enormous impact and still does today.”
Out of that hunger for the Holy Spirit, Robinson helped launch a new movement called “Fullness,” which consists of churches that are solid in their basic doctrine, open to all the gifts of the Spirit and embrace the total gospel.
The Fullness movement provided an option for Baptists who wanted more of God yet found many charismatic groups to be unregulated, undisciplined and sometimes even unbiblical.
Robinson returned to his publishing roots in 1978 by establishing Fullness magazine, whose circulation reached 60,000 at its peak. As an extension of the magazine, he held conferences around the world.
Although the magazine folded in 1991, Robinson believes the Fullness movement still exists and said he is open to publishing the magazine again if God leads him to.
“We know there are Fullness churches out there–they just don’t have the name,” he said. “That may be part of what we are about–trying to find those people and letting God in some way bring us together, to connect the Net.”
Carol Chapman Stertzer in Dallas
To receive Robinson’s prophetic e-mails, go to www.fullnessonline.org
