Holy Communion
Baptism is the beginning of our faith and our gateway into the Church. It is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word". (CCC 1213)
1. Background on the Lord’s Supper can be found in Luke 22:7-23; Matt. 26:20-23; Mark 14:12-16 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-29.
2. In order for us to fully understand the Lord’s Supper, we must first understand the significance of the Jewish Passover feast, which celebrates the Jews being delivered from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 12:12-14; 24,42).
3. There are two main symbols of the Passover feast (Exodus 12:13-14; 34-39): The blood of the lamb and the Unleavened Bread.
4. There are three essential facts about the Lord’s Supper:
The unleavened bread signifies “the body” of Jesus as “pure sinless.” (Heb. 4:15; 7:26; II Cor. 5:21; Revelations 1:18). Today we use wafers.
The cup of wine signifies the “new covenant relationship” between God and man (Luke 22:20; Matt. 26:28; Romans 5:9; Hebrews 9:14; Revelations 1:5). Today we use grape juice.
Jesus’ blood as the Passover Lamb can save mankind from sin and eternal death (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Both the grape juice and wafers are used only as symbols of the flesh and blood. These are not meals to fill our stomach or get us drunk. First Corinthians, Chapter Eleven explains this fully.
Eligibility:
Must be a regenerated (born again) Christian;
Must be a man/woman of a simple, pure and free heart;
Must be an individual, 12 years and above; and
Must have been baptized by immersion.
Circumcision of the private part is strongly encouraged, especially on the male child, by the church according to the Holy Scripture in Gen. 17:10-13, but no tribal tattoo or other marks may be made on the face or any part of the body.
If you already had tribal marks or tattoo on your body before knowing the Lord, His blood suffices to present you holy unto God.