I was asked to reply here. I have not been on here in a long time. I am a Bapticostal. Indeed, AG is really Baptist+. I have never heard my current pastor ever preach a sermon that would not be well received in a Baptist church. Indeed, I could take him to 99.9% of Baptist churches and pulpit committees would be trying to steal him until they spoke about the gifts. That said,
First, I am neither Calvinist nor Arminian as both blew it in some areas. This I am a Calamin or I prefer to say that I am a Biblicist and let dead theologians rest in peace or at least these two who have caused more division in the Body than Origen or other major heretics. If I had a time tunnel I would go back and snatch both of them as babies and take them back to Moses.
Second, I was a full body tat Independent Fighting Fundamental Baptist for 42 years with a five year gig as an Asst. Pastor in a BGCT SBC church. I was fed up with the IFBs and tried that. I suspect I would make most of you here look like flaming Liberals in comparison as I think Salty would bear me witness. I was a full fledged cessationist.
Third, I am still more Baptist than many who have the name, but are as Liberal as Bernie or members who have no clue why they are a Baptist let alone the doctrinal statement of the church they have been members for many years. Somewhat like the lady I met on visitation that thought Martin Luther King started the Lutheran church.
Fourth, while there are loonies in the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement you cannot lump them together like John MacArthur. Indeed, you should read the response to his book.
https://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Fire-Response-MacArthurs-Strange/dp/1629984558
Fifth, I changed my position when I was boning up and researching to tear up a tongues speaker. In the process, I found out that one of our main passages to militate against the gifts was not saying what I was taught.
Has That Which Is Perfect Come As I have re-read the Word without the Baptist bias I have found that we have hindered the Spirit by our theology and that is why we do not see some of the things our Pentecostal brethren see.
SIxth, at times the problem is terminology. When you get a sermon who do you get it from? Hopefully, the Spirit. When you are counseling someone and ask a question because you have a feeling at what the the core issue is and that is called a word of wisdom. When you say something profound from the pulpit that was not in your sermon workup it was a word of knowledge especially when someone comes forward to be saved because of that spontaneous inclusion.
Seventh, I don't believe they have everything correct just like Baptists do not have everything right or we would not be splitting all the time or having dictator pastors or members that say "if the pastor says that white wall is black, I am going to believe him." I asked that deacon what flavor Kool-Aid did he want with his cyanide.
Finally, it would seem rational that as we are transitioning from the Church Age to the 70th week of Daniel that we would see some increase in the amount of signs and miracles to bring Jews into position to be saved since we have sucked at Jewish evangelism by keeping so much of Catholicism in the churches that came out of the Reformation including anti-Semitism. There is nothing that says the days of Acts were ever over. Take off your glasses and allow the Holy Spirit who wrote it to interpret it for you. Avoid the New Age stuff, the Kundalini spirit and whatever those Matthew 7:21-25 got, but don't put leg irons and handcuffs on the Holy Spirit. Indeed, you may well be grieiving, quenching and resisting Him and that is why yur churches are splitting and dying. I do not have time to get into a long term debate. I only responded by request as I know how well this would go over. Like that old TV show lad "I said my piece. I had my say." May God bring us all into wisdom and fullness in the Spirit!
