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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:24:29 GMT--><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Blog</title><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/</link><description></description><lastBuildDate>Sat, 01 Oct 2011 18:43:23 +0000</lastBuildDate><copyright></copyright><language>en-US</language><generator>Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)</generator><item><title>DEMONSTRATION- Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:58:47 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/6/7/demonstration-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:11726004</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/rach-headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1307477266879" alt="" /></span></span>When our Underground group finished our 'Leadership Principles of the Holy Spirit' teachings with Pastor Rocky we decided to divide up our key topics and each write a blog on them. Since I put this together I got whatever was left over. However, three months later as I am sitting down to write this blog I see that it was no mistake that I ended up with this word.<br /><br />At first thought, most of us have a basic understanding of what DEMONSTRATION means. I think of someone standing up giving and example of how to do something. The definition is, 'Something that proves or makes evident'. I could have written a decent blog based on this one angle of the word, but I wanted more. I wanted to say something more meaningful. As I continued readying I came across this definition, 'the action or process of showing the existence or truth of something by giving proof or evidence'. While readying, I began to feel the importance of this topic in terms of the Holy Spirit and the type of character He has called His leaders to. <br /><br />Individually and corporately we, the body of Christ, are the DEMONSTRATION of who Jesus is. If we equal DEMONSTRATION, then our lives and actions are what shows the world the existence or truth of Jesus. This is a costly responsibility and unfortunately judging by the state of the body of Christ is is not a principle that we truly understand. It's not enough to understand something with your mind, you must also know something in your heart, to be effective. I took a step back today and really inspect if I know this with my heart.<br /><br />I wish a line could be drawn separating those who have chosen to live a life that DEMONSTRATES who Jesus is from those who do not chose to. However, no matter where you are at today you are a living DEMONSTRATION of who Jesus is. So if you are like me you will take a time out and consider what exactly you are demonstrating. Is is a fleshly lifestyle, is a selfish, judgmental or overly-religious attitude? If we are honest with ourselves most of us are not properly DEMONSTRATING the nature of Jesus Christ. <br /><br />We are called to be the mirror that reflects Jesus to the world. A mirror is never the exact true image. There are always scratches, smears, and slight distortions because we are not called to be perfect. However, we are called to SEEK the character of God for our own lives. When we seek His nature, it will become part of us, it'll be something that transfers from our head to our heart and then and only then will we be DEMONSTRATING a true picture of Jesus.<br /><br />We are called to greatness in Him. It's time that we stand up to the challenge, pick up our cross and follow Him! Jesus doesn't expect more than we are capable of but He won't stand for our laziness and lack of respect! So if you are like me and you realize that some area's need to be tweaked, then stop and take an inventory of your heart. Ask Jesus to forgive you and get back to it!<br /><br />-Rachel Veach<br /><br /></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-11726004.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>INSTRUCTION - Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:05:29 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/6/1/instruction-underground-leadershiptraining.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:11644766</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-right ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/justins headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1306938182501" alt="" /></span></span>Instruction: to teach, to educate, and to instruct. There are many ways that the Spirit of God is a Spirit of instruction. Of course, number one,<strong> the Holy Spirit is the Chief Instructor</strong>. God also uses many men and woman of God to speak into and give instruction in our lives.</p>
<p><br />First, we have the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit it is like getting a download of information from your own personal professor. He will not only teach, lead, and guide you through everyday decisions, but He will help to reveal the written word of God in your life. The Holy Spirit is the still small voice that will say turn here or go there, often saving us from some sort of calamity.</p>
<p><br />One obvious way that God uses His Holy Spirit to speak to you, is through your local pastor. God has placed these men in our lives to be able to teach us His word and implement it into our lives. One thing we must remember is that an instructor can stand there and talk all day long and it can be amazing revelation but it will not take root in our hearts unless we choose to be teachable. If we are not coming to church willing and expecting for God to speak into our lives then it is like trying to take a drink from a bottle with the lid still on. You can't drink just like your heart can't receive revelation knowledge. Your pastor is there willing to teach but you have to be preparied and ready to learn. Think of it like school, in order to learn you are required to participate on some level.&nbsp; If the student is to understand what is being taught he or she must have their books, pens, and papers ready!</p>
<p><br />Another way that God uses his Spirit to instruct us is through His prophets. Many times God will speak into your life and situation by sending His prophet to speak a word of knowledge, instruction or confirmation. Instruction is not always what we want to hear and is often challenging. God is usually asking us to do something that we don't want to do. Sometimes it may seem easy to hear instruction until you are required to DO. God always has a plan and purpose for what He asks of us. Prophets will often times speak something seemingly cutting or abrasive over you, but you must be willing to open your heart to Jesus and accept instruction and do whatever God is asking of you.</p>
<p><br />No matter what form or way God uses to send instruction into your life you have to be willing to receive it. <strong>Instruction requires action</strong>. We can no longer sit back and just listen in class we have to put things into action. God wants to teach and lead us but we must take the steps to follow him.﻿</p>
<p>Justin Duncan</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-11644766.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>COMMUNION - Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 14:05:11 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/5/10/communion-underground-leadershiptraining.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:11418268</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><strong><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/lisa headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1305036888748" alt="" /></span></span>Spirit of Communion:</strong><br /><br /><strong>God intimately associating with you.</strong> <br /><em>&ldquo;The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (John 14:21-23 Amp)</em><br /><br /><em>&ldquo;Come close to God and He will come close to you.&rdquo; (James 4:8 Amp)</em><br /><br />Communion translated in greek is skenoo (skay-no'-o) meaning: to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specially), to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion):--<strong> dwell</strong>.<br /><br />As communion is translated, we see,<strong> it is a continual, not just momentary</strong>.&nbsp; A tent is a physical dwelling place that we reside in and must be continually seeking God to obtain.&nbsp; It isn&rsquo;t one sided and cannot happen unless two(or more) parties participate.&nbsp; I know I want God to make His home/abode in me.&nbsp; I want Him to have a special dwelling place in me, with me.&nbsp; I must first make my home in Him, continually dwelling in Him and in the Spirit.&nbsp; <br /><br />When I think of the lyrics from the song, <em>Wrap Me In Your Arms</em> I think of communion.<br /><br /><em>&ldquo;Take me to that place Lord<br />To that secret place where<br />I can be with You<br />You can make me like You&rdquo;</em></p>
<p><br />We are all capable of having a secret place with God, a place of communion, where we are made like Him.&nbsp; Look at how Enoch walked in habitual fellowship or communion with God and where it led him.</p>
<p><em>&ldquo;And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /> (Genesis 5:24 Amp)</em></p>
<p>While we are on this earth, let&rsquo;s make it a habit to continually commune with our awesome God, so we may spend eternity with Him. ﻿</p>
<p>Lisa Duncan</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-11418268.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>CONSOLATION - Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:27:08 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/4/22/consolation-underground-leadershiptraining.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:11234161</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-right ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/nates%20headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1303823436718" alt="" /></span></span><em>Ps 46:1-3 &ndash;God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst o</em><em>f the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah <br /><br />Heb&nbsp; 13:5-6 &ndash; Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, &ldquo;I will never leave you nor forsake you.&rdquo; So we may boldly say: &ldquo;The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?&rdquo; <br /><br />Jn 14:16-18 &amp; 26-27&nbsp; &ndash;And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.&nbsp; </em><br /><em><br />26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. <br /><br />Jn 15:26-27&nbsp; &ndash; But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,</em><em> even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. <br /><br /> Jn 16:7 - 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.&nbsp; </em><br /><br />Have you ever felt lonely, overwhelmed, worried, anxious or afraid?&nbsp; I know I have experienced each of these to the point where I didn&rsquo;t feel like I couldn&rsquo;t handle any more.&nbsp; These experiences in my life remind me of Hosea 4:6 where it says, &lsquo;My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge&rsquo;, and for many years of my life, though I was not &lsquo;destroyed&rsquo; I lived quite defeated because of a lack of knowledge about what I would like to present to you today. <br /><br />In 2 Cor. 2:11, the apostle Paul uses the statement<em> &lsquo;&hellip; lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices&rsquo;</em>.&nbsp; This phrase helps us by way of reminder that our enemy in this life, Satan, seeks to keep us ignorant for the purpose of taking advantage of us, and the primary place he seeks to keep us ignorant is in knowing who our God is.&nbsp; But thank God, He gives us His word so that we can know who He is, and if that isn&rsquo;t enough He has made it so that His very own Spirit dwells in us! <br /><br />One of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in our lives, that reveals the Father, is that He is a comforter (see John chapter 14-16), or in other words the Spirit of consolation.&nbsp; Consolation is to comfort, and as some translations say &lsquo;Helper&rsquo; instead of &lsquo;Comforter&rsquo;, so they are one in the same.&nbsp; I want you to notice some recurring thoughts that are included in our scripture references above:&nbsp; Comforter/Helper, the picture of God with us or being present, and a call to not fear or worry.&nbsp; This is the role of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Consolation.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Starting with Adam and Eve, when sin entered this world, there became a separation between God and man, and with it fear.&nbsp; Then Jesus came to earth and was &lsquo;Emmanuel&rsquo;, God with us.&nbsp; So we can imagine that when He is telling them He must go away to be with the Father, the normal reaction was to again fear.&nbsp; However, as Jesus told them, in God&rsquo;s plan it was better that He go away to the Father, so that the Holy Spirit could come to us and be with us all.&nbsp; Therefore, Jesus encourages us that there is no need to fear, because the Holy Spirit is with us and He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13)! <br /><br />God has used this truth in amazing ways in the last few months to help me with those areas of struggle I mentioned above.&nbsp; In my life there were a number of factors that the enemy would repeatedly use in my life to make me feel isolated, lonely, overwhelmed and afraid, and though I knew about many of these truths from the word about the Holy Spirits role, there were place I needed to apply and believe this truth that God is with me!&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Did you know that one of the covenant, redemptive names of God is &lsquo;Jehovah-Shammah&rsquo;?&nbsp; Jehovah-Shammah means the Lord is present, this is a truth just as much as God is love and some of the other more talked about and widely accepted descriptions of God.&nbsp; God is present!!&nbsp; That is why we do not need to be anxious, worry, fear, be overwhelmed, or feel lonely&hellip; God is present with us in the person of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Consolation! <br /><br />I&rsquo;ll close by briefly sharing a personal story.&nbsp; For the longest time I would encounter cycles in my life where certain circumstances would mount up together, and I would be overcome by strong feelings of anxiousness and feel helpless, hopeless, and alone.&nbsp; This went on and on since I was a young teenager, so needless to say every time it would be more and more discouraging feeling like it would never change.&nbsp; Then in January the Lord revealed to me that there was a spirit of loneliness that the enemy was using against me, and what I mean by that is there was a spiritual attack the enemy was using normal everyday situations to mount up in ways to where I would view things improperly and feel the ways I mentioned before.&nbsp; This revelation was the breakthrough I needed all these years, and it was the revelation of <strong>the Spirit of Consolation, my very present Helper</strong>!&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Since then I have been able to overcome what I now recognize as a trap, by remembering that God is with me, He is the Spirit of comfort and consolation.&nbsp; And He is the same for you too! <br />&nbsp;<br />Blessings to you In Him, <br /><br />Nate ﻿Wilda</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-11234161.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>CONFIRMATION - Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:50:28 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/4/12/confirmation-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:11130238</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/matt-headshot.gif?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1302627611690" alt="" /></span></span>When talking about salvation and &ldquo;winning souls&rdquo; the  focus tends to be on getting the potential someone to pray the prayer of  salvation for the bible says<em> &ldquo;that if you confess with your mouth the  Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the  dead, you will be saved.&rdquo; Romans 10:9</em> However, I believe sometimes we  can prematurely convince or pressure people to say the prayer of  salvation in a way that lacks genuine confession instead of giving God  the time to witness or confirm with that person&rsquo;s spirit.</p>
<p>In essence I  feel like <strong>sometimes we try too hard and in doing so, we halt the natural  work that God is already doing</strong>.  I personally believe we need to focus  less on the &ldquo;confess with your mouth&rdquo; and more on the &ldquo;believe in your  heart.&rdquo; You might say &ldquo;Well Matt, we don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s in a person&rsquo;s  heart, and whether they believe in their heart is between them and God&rdquo;,  which is true, but there are things we can do as believers to give God  an avenue to do a work in someone&rsquo;s heart. This is where confirmation  comes into play.</p>
<p>Confirmation can also mean to validate, reinforce,  witness, and testify. I truly believe that we cannot be saved until God  confirms or witnesses to our spirit that He is in fact God. The first  day I attended Connections my life turned around because God confirmed  with my spirit through the prophetic words of Pastor Rocky that he knows  who I am, he knows my struggles, and has an awesome plan for my life. What happened to me is illustrated in<em> 1 Cor. 14:24-25 &ldquo;But if all  prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is  convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his  heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship  God and report that God is truly among you.&rdquo;</em></p>
<p>When I believe for  someone&rsquo;s salvation I don&rsquo;t pray that I will have the courage or  opportunity to ask them if they want to accept Christ as their savior,  but I pray that God would confirm with their spirit as He did mine, and I  envision them experiencing the same thing I did when God bore witness  with my spirit. I look at ways to get the person to a similar  environment where God can reveal the secrets of their heart and leave  them no choice but to be filled with repentance and excitement because  God has a wondrous journey in store for them.</p>
<p>Matt Marino﻿</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-11130238.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>EDIFICATION- Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:49:30 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/4/5/edification-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:11058172</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-right ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/chris-headshot.gif?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1302033874385" alt="" /></span></span>At our UNDERGROUND service, Pastor Rocky has been teaching on the many characteristics of the Holy Spirit. As we research the various levels of the Holy Spirit, one specific characteristic stands out to me, and is also my personal favorite. EDIFICATION!<br /><br />As we go through life and its challenges, there always comes a time where you have to <strong>&ldquo;recharge your batteries&rdquo;</strong> to keep going, and be built up. The Holy Spirit was sent here on earth to be our helper along the path that is set before us. One of the main ways that He helps us along our race is EDIFICATION, which simply means to: <strong>build up, to lift up, and to strengthen</strong>. The Holy Spirit is here to give us the support and strength we need to accomplish the mission before us. The best way that the Holy Spirit edifies our lives is by us praying in the spirit.<br /><br /><em>&rdquo;The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself...&rdquo; 1 Corinthians 14:4</em><br /><br />Now edification by the Holy Spirit is not reserved for our own personal walk only, but also for the body as a whole. Pastor Rocky has been teaching us a lot on how <strong>Christianity is not an individual thing, but it&rsquo;s a corporate thing</strong>. We can accomplish so much more together than we can separate on our own. Paul proves this point in as you read on...<em> </em></p>
<p><em>&rdquo;but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.&rdquo; 1 Corinthians 14:4b-5.</em> <br /><br /></p>
<p>The Holy Spirit not only edifies our personal life by praying in tongues, but He also edifies us through prophecy within the body of Christ!<br /><br />I also want to point out HOW the Holy Spirit edifies us (although there are many more areas of how He does that listed in the bible). This is found in Ephesians 4:11-14...&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>&rdquo;And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.&rdquo;</em><br /><br />The Holy Spirit will use the 5-Fold ministry to edify us both personally and corporately as a whole. Verse 14 states why it is so important that we are edified! In this critical time we live in, we can&rsquo;t afford to be tossed around by the enemy and his devices. We need to be built up, EDIFIED, in the things of God in order to finish our race!<br /><br />I want to leave you with the same thing that Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:12...&nbsp; <em>&rdquo;So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.&rdquo;</em> After all, the church is Christ&rsquo;s bride!</p>
<p>Lets prepare ourselves for His return!<br /><br />Chris﻿</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-11058172.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>TRANSMISSION- Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:47:43 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/3/28/transmission-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:10975002</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><strong><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/amanda's headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1301343368569" alt="" /></span></span>Driving with the Holy Spirit</strong><br /><br />Today I would like to share with you  my thoughts about the<strong> Transmission</strong> of the Holy Spirit and how it  relates to an actual car transmission. <br /><br />First of all let me pull  out my online dictionary and define the word for you. The definition of  Transmission is the transference of force between machines or  mechanisms. <br /><br />For example, I press in the clutch which disengages  the transmission and allows me to put the car into gear. After that, I  let off the clutch which reengages the transmission, so that when I step  on the gas it causes an increase in the rotation of gears, which  ultimately transmits power to the car  putting it into motion. <br /><br />In  John 16:14-15 it says <em>&ldquo;He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is  Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you."</em><br /><br />We  have access to so many things, because we are sons  and daughters in Christ. God wants us to prosper and be like  Him and is  willing to give us anything we need to accomplish this. We should thank  God everyday for the Holy Spirit, who is continuously working on our  behalf. Just as the scripture says <strong>He takes of what is His and declares  it to us</strong>. All we have to do is put it in gear and go. As we push to know  God more and more, the Holy Spirit transmits to us what we need to get  there, putting our effectiveness into motion! <br /><br />When you see a  vintage, supped up, hot rod come roaring down the street you never think  wow that guy is an amazing driver. No, you think wow what a sweet  ride!! The same is true with us. When people see what the Holy Spirit  has <strong>transmitted</strong> into our lives they are not going to say. Wow look at  Amanda she is so Holy and Divine. No, they will say wow, God is good! Look at what great things He is doing through her! He gets all the glory  and we get to enjoy the benefits of it and it&rsquo;s so awesome!<br /><br />Don&rsquo;t  settle for a six speed, because with God there are unlimited gears.  Drive your Christianity with the Holy Spirit and see where it takes you.  The opportunities are endless!</p>
<p>Love you guys<br />Amanda  ;)       ﻿</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-10975002.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>REVELATION - Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:24:04 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/3/8/revelation-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:10710252</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/wendys headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1299599999010" alt="" /></span></span>A scenario that has always fascinated me is, to be physically blind your entire life and one day wake up to sight for the first time. Can you imagine what it would be like to see the sunrise peering through your window for the first time? Because I have the ability to see, I would never want anyone to have to live without the beauty of sight and I believe that is how God feels with us. He sees even in our most blind moments and will do whatever it takes to open our eyes and reveal the necessary information to us so we can be fully equipped for our journey.</p>
<p>During our Underground training, we have taken a deeper look into the characteristics of the Holy Spirit. Revelation: a striking disclosure of something not before realized, is just one of the amazing attributes of the spirit of our God. This scenario I have always been fascinated with is a natural display of a spiritual truth. You don&rsquo;t have to search far to find it all over the bible. The story of Daniel interpreting for the king is one of my favorites. <br /><br />God revealed the king&rsquo;s dream to Daniel and gave him insight so Nebuchadnezzar could know that God was building His Kingdom and could be aware of what was coming in the days in front of him. It was time for the king to know who the highest King really was!</p>
<p><em><strong>Daniel 2:29</strong><br />29 As for you, O king, as you were lying upon your bed thoughts came into your mind about what should come to pass hereafter, and He Who reveals secrets was making known to you what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than anyone else living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king and that you may know the thoughts of your heart and mind.</em></p>
<p>I love stories of God revealing his plans through dreams because in 2002 when I was 14 years old; I had a dream that shook my life. It didn&rsquo;t make sense at the time but as life has unfolded, it has become obvious to me that just like God was trying to reveal precious information to the king in the book of Daniel, he was also trying to reveal His divine plan for my life. <br /><br />In my dream, the family pastoring my church of who I hardly knew at the time (Pastor Rocky and Bobbi Veach), was leaving to NY and I knew I had to go with them. In the dream, there were many trials, reasons why I shouldn&rsquo;t have been able to go but at the end of the dream, I was crying in the empty house they had packed up and were leaving, sure I was left behind. All of a sudden, Rocky was standing at the doorway and said, &ldquo;What are you crying for? You are with us!&rdquo;. I immediately wiped my tears and followed him to the car and left with them. Even to this day; this dream strikes a chord in my heart because it constantly reminds me that God has a plan for my life. About six months after the dream, events took place and before I knew it, I had moved in with this family. Four years after that, I found myself moving to NY and now, almost eight years later, this dream has truly come to pass. I jumped in the car with them eight years ago and the journey their family was called to embark on and have never looked back. God&rsquo;s plan was to include me all along! How amazing is that? And how amazing is it that He would let me in on His plan?</p>
<p>That dream brought me peace in some of the hardest times of my life. It reminded me that I was right in the middle of the plan of God when it didn&rsquo;t make any sense. And for that, my heart grew to love and understand God in a way I never did before.</p>
<p><strong>The Holy Spirit is a discloser, He is</strong><strong> an eye opener, He is a REVEALER</strong>, and if you allow Him, He will direct your life and He will prepare you for this journey you have embarked on. He is REVELATION and I love Him for making my blind eyes truly see!<br /><br />-Wendy Arroyo</p>
<p style="padding-left: 240px;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/underground-roots-expanded.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1299603437664" alt="" /></span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/connectionsct">Friend us on Facebook</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-10710252.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>CONVICTION - Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:19:18 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/3/3/conviction-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:10662983</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-right ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 200px;" src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/mollis headshot.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1299165363284" alt="" /></span></span>What is Conviction? Most people refer to it as guilt, but it is indeed very different form of guilt. Conviction is a tool of the Holy Spirit that saves us from our ignorance. Guilt is a tool of the devil to put us down when we are not truly guilty.</p>
<p>The word &ldquo;Convict&rdquo; is defined in worldly terms as a verb; to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial: to convict a prisoner of a felony. However, in Spiritual terms it means to convince or prove a person&rsquo;s true condition, referring specifically to the condition of their heart.</p>
<p>People in our society and all through out history do not want to see their fault pointed out to them. This is especially true of believers. As believers we rationalize the &ldquo;good and bad&rdquo; of our sin. In order to be enlightened ourselves and help others we must expose our hearts to The Spirit of Truth! We need a ding&hellip;ding&hellip;ding you got it, Spirit of Conviction. <br /><br />There for if Jesus doesn&rsquo;t enlighten our hearts, our knowledge of spiritual things is limited to our finite and over-rationalized minds. As a result we are held back from our ignorance to Heavenly realities. It is the same when we read our Bibles. If a nonbeliever tries to read and or study their Bible, understanding it will not be easy for them, it would not be easy for anyone to understand it, however, the Holy Spirit will show us that, <br /><strong>1) We do not truly believe in the Savior <br />2) We need to exchange our life for Jesus&rsquo; and <br />3) We will face the day of judgment along with the devil. </strong><br /><br />So ask your self is Ignorance really bliss? I think not! The Holy Spirit can truly shed light on our ignorance through a Spirit of Conviction. This is important so that when we meet our Maker we can have a clean and clear conscience.</p>
<p>Molli Veach</p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/rss-comments-entry-10662983.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>RECOLLECTION- Underground Leadership Training</title><dc:creator>Rocky Veach</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:08:04 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.connectionsct.org/blog/2011/2/15/recollection-underground-leadership-training.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">446546:5040467:10490037</guid><description><![CDATA[<p><span class="full-image-float-left ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 150px;" src="http://www.connectionsct.org/storage/images/jordan20112.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1297786188269" alt="" /></span></span>As I was sitting in the Underground service listening to Pastor Rocky speak on leadership, I glanced down at the list of principles listed in his outline.&nbsp; Consolation, demonstration, revelation; words I&rsquo;ve grown up with and have had several meanings in my life over the years.&nbsp; <br /><br />&ldquo;Recollection. Hmmm, that&rsquo;s an interesting one.&nbsp; The deliverance from Alzheimer&rsquo;s?&rdquo; I thought secretly to myself while jotting down the fill-in-the-blanks. &ldquo;Where&rsquo;s he going with this one?&rdquo;<br /><br />And so began the discussion (well it was actually more of a monologue, He talked, I listened) with God and my own personal revelation on the subject.&nbsp; Which brings us to this point, my blog.<br /><br />As believers, we understand that we are in a war, most of the time over revelation.&nbsp; We are set free from the snare of the fowler when we walk into the light or God&rsquo;s truth about a particular situation or circumstance.&nbsp; That being said, what most Christians seem to misunderstand is when revelation is really revelation and not just knowledge.<br /><br />When you are reading the Bible and something jumps off the page to you, that is amazing.&nbsp; I absolutely love when the Word comes alive and things click.&nbsp; For example, you&rsquo;ve read the phrase &ldquo;God is love&rdquo; 100 million times, but for some reason, one day, you see it for the truth behind it and not just the literal face value&hellip;God is love.&nbsp; That is an indefinably wonderful moment, no doubt, but that is only the beginning stage of revelation.&nbsp; Revelation, at this point, is like kinetic energy, it has the potential to go somewhere.<br /><br />If you&rsquo;ve been saved for longer than a day, you can probably relate with the struggle of being tested; gold formed by fire and all that jazz.&nbsp; This is where recollection make it&rsquo;s debut.&nbsp; In the middle of a trial, where you are in the dirtiest part of your soul and/or someone else&rsquo;s and the most alive thing to you is your flesh, the recollection of the Holy Spirit comes in.&nbsp; &ldquo;God is love.&rdquo;&nbsp; Proverbs calls this the crossroads, &lsquo;where wisdom takes her stance.&rsquo;&nbsp; The idea you thought you grasped on a page when you were spending time at the Throne, now has a chance to come alive in your life and it&rsquo;s meaning morphs from a definition into your God-given answer, your &lsquo;help in time of need.&rsquo;&nbsp; It&rsquo;s multi-dimensional and at that moment, it becomes fused to who you are, and you can never be separated from it again.&nbsp; The recollection of truth now lives inside of you.&nbsp; The revelation itself transcends an idea and becomes an experience, a reality&hellip;a testimony.<br /><br />After all isn&rsquo;t that the greatest thing we possess?&nbsp; Our testimony.&nbsp; As human beings, we are guided so much by our experiences.&nbsp; Thought patterns, feelings, intuition, even your conscience is largely influenced by what you have experienced in your life.&nbsp; The Lord designed it that way.&nbsp; He employs recollection of your prayer time, your Word time, your fellowship with other believers to form new experiences based on Heavenly Kingdom principles.&nbsp; And how explosive would that be, if everyone&rsquo;s past was guided by Godly, Biblical experiences, ensuring that their future would follow suite? <br /><br />What&rsquo;s more, the idea of recollection in our life is so powerful that it&rsquo;s potentially the gateway to other&rsquo;s deliverance or even their salvation.&nbsp; This is why spending time in the Word and communing with God is such a crucial part of being Christ like.&nbsp; You may not see the outcome right away, but putting God&rsquo;s nature inside of you will allow the Holy Spirit to bring it out of you in your moment of truth, in your moment of revelation, in your moment of recollection, or in someone else&rsquo;s.<br /><br />Our Father knows how to give good gifts.&nbsp; The Holy Spirit&rsquo;s endowment of recollection seems to be so expansive, writing about it in it&rsquo;s entirety would take me years.&nbsp; But I do want to finish with this: God has all the answers to anything we could ever come across and recollection is just what it says, a re-collecting of things we have experienced.&nbsp;&nbsp; Making sure you are filling yourselves with the right kind of material is imperative to have something to recollect when you need it.﻿</p>
<p>Jordan Veach</p>
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