Hi everyone, I thought that I would write this post seeing as baptisms are increasing in the world and people may have more questions about them. I was baptised at about 7 to 8 years old at Saint Catherine of Siena's church and I feel a bit like I went under her wing at a very young age. I was baptised in a Catholic church.
I had a very simple baptism process and I received water baptism on my head. There are different ways in being baptised with water and there is no correct way. Some will have a water immersion and some people will simply be baptised on their head.
This is my junior brother and his friend on his special day.
People can start their faith journey at different points in their life. Some people may start it early in life and some may start it later as adults. I am glad for me that mine started at a young age. My decision to seek it out more at 16 was my own. My parents were quite liberal in regards to faith growing up.
Talk to a minister in a church where you can discuss going on a baptism course if interested.
Soon I will be taking vows of Confirmation and received and then committing to a consecrated life as a Christian.
Baptism prepares a Christian for dependence on Jesus for their salvation and it prepares them for entrance into the Body of Christ.
The Church Body are members of the church and Jesus is also the head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23). As Christians we become part of that body of Christ and have a purpose to fulfil in the church (1 Corinthians 12-28) (Romans 12). As Christians we also become part of that body of Christ for the remission of sins and this is important about baptism (Acts 2:38, 41). Love, faith and mission are though intrinsic as well to fulfilling the role of a Christian life. Baptism on its own is a necessary, but not sufficient on its own for salvation.
We are born with our spirit which also contains the Spirit of God (Genesis 2:7) (Job 33:4 ) (Psalm 104-30) "Thy sendest forth thy spirit, they are created." Receiving the Holy Spirit which usually happens at Baptism (which Jesus laid the way for) allows one to grow in the Spirit and become more fully ourselves emulating the attributes of God. This is the presence of God with us here and now and is a third attribute of God. However, the main source of the Divine Essence resides in Heaven.
Jesus stated that, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5) (Acts 16 31-34). (Matthew 28:18-20) (Titus 3:5-the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit) and in Matthew we were taught-"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" For further scripture messages see Romans 6:4 also.
The Bible closely links Baptism to the giving of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). At Baptism you will receive by faith the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptism goes far beyond the receiving of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to renewing promises which marks the beginning of a new journey with God and we have the ability to have eternal life. Baptism is a symbolic act whereby the believer portrays the death, burial and resurrection to a new life in the Spirit (Romans 6: 1-4). In baptism, we are ‘born again’ of water and the Holy Spirit to become Jesus’ adopted brothers and sisters.
Jesus himself was baptised by water by John the Baptist who was his cousin and God spoke and said this is my dear Son who I am well pleased at this event.(Matthew 3:13-17), it is good practice to follow his lead.
The prayers of the head of a household for a family, can help others in that family to get through to the next kingdom (Acts 16: 32-24) and then it called upon them the need for baptism.
Some people may be given the gifts of the Holy Spirit when they are baptised, I myself though wasn't given this till 17 in a separate service when God's time was ready for me. There are 8 Gifts of the Holy Spirit and people are blessed with spiritual gifts to support them in their walk with their faith and these gifts are also given to the believer to support the church itself (1 Corinthians 12:27-28). The gifts of the spirit are prophecy, faith, wisdom, knowledge, healing/miracles, speaking in tongues, understanding the tongues and discerning spirits.
These gifts such as words of wisdom come from God's Holy Spirit which is relayed to our Holy Spirit within us which our spirit then shares with us. We know that they are the Lord's messages as they support Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is head of all matters pertaining to the Church and allocates members into their roles to serve in the church ministry (1 Ephesians 1:22). There are reasons why you may wish to be baptised in the church and one is that your baptism will be noted officially which will allow you to be confirmed in the church and received if so later decide to do so. Some schools to may wish to see record of where children have been baptised officially as well.
Jesus said he would send his followers a comforter which is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). Jesus said he would send his followers a comforter to support them in their journey as a Christian. The Holy Spirit has many roles, helper, healer, protector, motivation, confidence, intercessor, advocate, strengthener, standby, comforter, counsellor, baptiser and a sanctifier. The Holy Spirit can also help you learn to care for yourself spiritually and also holistically. God with my autism helps me manage it as well, so it is not about the religion, but your holistic health as well as it is important to God.
With the Holy Spirit's guidance we also can importantly grow in the Fruits of the Spirit which, with these fruits we can use them to model ourselves on as Christians (Galatians 5: 22-23). The Fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
The photo displayed is a box where they kept special oils etc for baptism and special sacraments.
I went to a church and a local park and it reminded me of Baptism and I made this very short video.
