SWALLOWED SCROLL: Scripture, Tradition, Catechesis, Evangelization: Does AnGel Ministries Distort Catholic Teaching? (part 1)

The other day, a lovely woman came into our parish office and placed some fliers for AnGel Ministries' "Just Give Me Jesus", a "life-changing revival for women." http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/

After she left, I decided to look up their website and find out what they are all about. It is often the case that such evangelical ministries, never content with the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed, have their own statements of faith. Unfortunately, as is the case with many Protestant groups, their invented creeds usually make semi-veiled attacks on Catholicism in order to demonstrate how these well-meaning Evangelicals, are true "Christians". In other words, so much of Protestant self-identity depends on the fact that THEY ARE NOT CATHOLIC! Sadly, they often present a simplified and false straw-man of Catholic beliefs that they easily knock down.

Previously, I wrote to an evangelical website called Dare2Share http://www.dare2share.org/ when I found some serious errors in their profile of a Catholic believer. This is becoming a little hobby of mine.

What follows is the AnGel Ministries Statement of Faith and then a link to their longer article on the pivotal Evangelical doctrine of eternal security entitled "You can be sure you will go to heaven when you die."

Finally, in the next couple links I will post my (rather lengthy, of course) emails to AnGel Ministries.

AnGel Ministries' Statement of Faith:
http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/
index.php/Statement-Of-Faith

Statement Of Faith

We believe in God the Father, Creator of everything, Who loved the world He created and sent His only Son to be our Savior.
We believe that God the Son is Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior sent by God, Israel’s Messiah, born of a virgin, fully man and fully God.
We believe that God the Holy Spirit quickens us from death to life, indwells all those who receive Jesus Christ by faith as Lord and Savior and continuously conforms believers to the image of Jesus Christ.
We believe the death of Jesus Christ on the cross is sufficient in itself to make atonement for the sin of the world--an atonement available to all who repent of their sin and believe in Him alone for forgiveness and salvation.
We believe Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and the third day He bodily arose from the dead guaranteeing the bodily resurrection of all those who have received eternal life through faith in Him.
We believe salvation from judgment, forgiveness of sin and eternal life are free gifts of God’s grace and cannot be earned, deserved, inherited or bought.
We believe only those who believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him into their inner being will escape eternal judgment and be accepted into heaven.
We believe in the imminent, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ to this earth to reign in righteousness and justice.
We believe the true church is not an organization, but the Body of Christ made up of those who have personally trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and publicly confessed Him as Lord.
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God, without error and thus the supreme and final authority for faith and practice.
We believe that daily Bible reading and prayer are as necessary for the sustenance of spiritual life as food and water are necessary for physical life.
We believe that all believers are commanded to be witnesses for Christ, sharing the Gospel to the whole world.