Probably more "Word issues" here, but the long version would be:
In 1963, and for 6-7 years before, I was terminally depressed, hopeless, and passively suicidal. so, with a couple from a neighboring town in Massachusetts, I bout a 1947 Buick, and drove from the Boston area to Houston Texas to "get away from our problems. Houston was a much more dynamic economy, and good jobs were easy to come by, but since I'd brought myself along, and I was the "Problem" things didn't get better.
But the Lord had engineered the solution - my roommates got Born Again - led to the Lord by the folks across the hall, The next night, Pete took me on and the Holy Spirit convicted me of my SIN, and with the assistance of my roommate, I Surrendered, Repented, and Cried out to God to SAVE ME. He did, and everything changed because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). As frosting on the cake, I was INSTANTLY delivered from my three-pack a day cigarette habit - no withdrawal, no craving, just like I'd neve smoked in my life. (more to that story)
The following Sunday evening, At Greenwood Baptist Church in Pasadena, TX, I was Baptized by immersion in the three titles, and initially indoctrinated (New Convert's class) in the Southern Baptist theological package (Gap theory, OSAS, Cessationism, etc.).
When I returned home to Massachusetts shortly after, I found that the Northeastern Baptist Churches were quite a different breed of cat, rather cold and liberal, and in search of a more "Warm Blooded" CHurch, I wound up in the Assemblies of God denomination, where I've been for most of the last 57 years. Being a "Pentecostal Denomination", they stressed "the Baptism in the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4), and the speaking in tongues as the "initial evidence thereof". I didn't have any theological issues with that, but I didn't HAVE IT.
In the '60s, God sent The Charismatic Outpouring, which rolled across the Midwest where I was living then, and I became part of the "Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International" (FGBMFI). After a year or so, I was prayed for to receive the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit", and nothing happened - until about three weeks later, and suddenly during worship, an odd "word" appeared in my mind, and I spoke it - then more odd words came, and flowed as I spoke them - i.e. "Tongues". SO basically I'd been "Born Again" since '63, and Baptized in the Holy SPirit in '73. and the PRACTICAL aspect of that was that I was suddenly propelled into an intense Bible teaching ministry to small groups, which went on for pretty much the next decade. God also used me often in the "Interpretation of Tongues" in churches, and occasionally in "prophesy".
The Charismatic outpouring (1966 - 1979 or so) affected mostly the "Liberal denominations and Roman Catholics", and the Assemblies of God wanted NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. One aspect of the "outpouring" was that it was non-denominational, and we all saw in the Lord something much higher than our "precious denominational doctrines". For about a decade we were all "Just Christians" together, and "Labels" were very unimportant.
But all Holy Spirit Revivals come to an end, and us "Charismatics" had to make a choice. SOME of them "tried to keep it going" (which was impossible), and others of us re-integrated with our old denominational groups, and MANY Charismatics flowed into the Assemblies of God Denomination with the effect that the AG became a LOT LESS LEGALISTIC (one strike and your OUT), and generally became a much less JUDGEMENTAL group.
So essentially my "Theology" is: "Free range Charismatic, NON-Systematic, slightly Calvinist leaning, non-denominational Christian" who's a member in good standing of an Assembly of God church family.
