Walter Robinson II's
Spiritual Background
For most of his early adult life Robinson was without real
direction and purpose. This is especially true concerning spiritual matters.
His spiritual history is multifaceted, diverse, and perhaps even weird
to some. He grew up in Beckley, West Virginia and was baptized in an American Baptist
church when he was ten years of age in 1964. Though he was gravely afraid of water, he
sought baptism and joined the church because he had come to understand that he could
escape going to hell and go to heaven in death only by doing so. That was his belief and
religion for the next thirteen years. But his life did not change in the least. In fact,
he got deeper and deeper into many evil practices as the years passed by.
In his late teens his spiritual interests became more
diversified—and strange. Early in the 1970’s he became involved in
teachings and practices that later became widely known as ‘New Age.’ He was
especially intrigued and interested in concepts that dealt with extraterrestrials and
UFOs. From 1976 until 1977 he served as an official investigator for the National
Investigative Committee on Arial Phenomenon (NICAP), and was responsible for handling UFO
reports in the state of West Virginia.
During the fall of 1977, Robinson’s spiritual direction abruptly
changed. He heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in a holiness Church and was born-again as he
received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He subsequently broke from all New Age
practices and resigned from NICAP shortly later. He later became convinced that he had
been called to serve as a preacher of the word of the God.
In 1978 he began serving as an interim pastor in a holiness denomination (Church
of the Nazarene) in Charleston, West Virginia. In 1979 he accepted the pastorate of that
same church. In time he came to practice what he believed was the gift of prophecy after
watching a Charismatic television evangelist seemingly exercise the gift on a religious
television network. A little over one year later, in 1980, he left his pastorate and
became part of a interdenominational Charismatic Fellowship in St. Albans, West Virginia
where he remained for one year.
From the time of his being born-again Robinson began to immerse himself in the
teachings of the Bible. Desiring to know more about the word of God, he took up studying
the languages of the original manuscripts and the ancient cultures and history that served
as the historical basis for the Bible. Over the ensuing years his knowledge of the ancient
cultures and religious practices increased. In a few years—and with the aid of
available language tools—he had gained a working understanding of ancient Hebrew and
the Koiné Greek.
It was around 1981—and because of his ongoing Bible study and
research—that Robinson came to realize that something was gravely wrong with his
present spiritual direction. He became concerned over the underlying historical foundation
and philosophy behind the rapidly growing Christian Pentecostal and Charismatic
experiences. The specific practices that concerned him were:
Speaking
in ‘unknown tongues’
Gaining
extra-biblical revelation through the supposed interpretation of ‘unknown
tongues’
Supposed
prophesying
Supposedly
receiving words of knowledge.
Through personal experience and research Robinson also discovered that the
practices are not only common with may Christian holiness groups, Christian Apostolic and
‘Jesus Only’ sects; they are also common in many cults, Roman Catholicism, New
Agers, Voodoo practitioners, a gambit of non-Christian religions—and even UFO
contactees!
During this same period of in-depth Bible study he also came to conclude that
something was wrong with cross-doctrinal practices as promoted in the Ecumenical Movement.
He personally witnessed how ecumenical unity often could be obtained only at the sacrifice
of Biblical doctrine, even though the Bible itself teaches that ‘All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:’(2 Timothy 3:16)
Robinson also came to find himself at odds with the teaching of holiness,
Pentecostal, and also many Charismatics who claimed that a believer could lose their
salvation. When he had first heard the gospel he knew that the Bible taught that ‘For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: 9Not of works.’ But Robinson had also become convinced that the
believer is ‘… kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time.’(1 Peter 1:3). Thus, he believed that teaching a believer
that they could lose their salvation is unbiblical. At that time he renounced his past
charismatic practices and broke off associating with groups who did practice them.
During this time of research Robinson began searching for a group of believers
whose doctrine and practices were just as he believed the Bible taught. He spent one year
in a Missionary Baptist Church in South Charleston, West Virginia, but kept looking and
visiting several other churches. He and his wife, Linda, had also began looking for a good
school in which he could enroll his daughter (five-years-old at the time) into
kindergarten.
In 1984 he found a Bible Church and associated Christian School that filled all
requirements. This church was located in the Charleston, West Virginia area, some five
miles from his home. He joined that church early in 1985 and in time came to serve as a
deacon, a member of the official board, a member of the Christian School board, and on the
missionary committee. He remained a faithful member and worked in that church until the
Lord led him and his family into full time missionary work overseas in 1991. This church
still serves as their sending and home church.
Click here to read Walter's
personal story in depth as shared in excerpts from his book, The Final
Empire.
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