In the early days at Lancaster Baptist Church, I gave a “Visit with the Pastor” almost every Sunday night in which I tried to infuse our young church with the DNA of New Testament Christianity. Usually these were a brief topical lesson on topics ranging from how to lead someone to the Lord, to having family devotions, to encouraging new Christians.

In John chapter 15, Jesus reveals the abundant life (the real Christian life, which is His gift to us) by giving us the metaphor of the vine and the branches.

How many of us through the years have prayed, Psalm 85:6, “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”

It’s become a habit of mine—throughout the month of December, I jot down areas in which I want to grow in the new year as they come to mind. Then somewhere during the week between Christmas and New Years, I write out specific goals.

It can be a real dilemma seeing methods that seem to work really well, then being told not to use them.

D. L. Moody said: “The longer I live the more I am convinced that godly men and women are not appreciated in our day. But their work will live after them, and there will be a greater work done after they are gone, by the influence of their lives, than when they were living.”

Each year at Lancaster Baptist Church, on the first Sunday of January, we reveal to our church family a new scriptural theme for the coming year. This theme flows out of much prayer and preparation that has taken place for six or seven months in advance of the new year.

A few years ago, I wrote a little book titled Christmas Is a Gift. In it, I pointed out that Christmas itself is the gift of Christ’s presence: Emmanuel—God with us! But if Christmas is a gift, how do we unwrap it? How do we celebrate the gift, not just enjoy the wrapping?

“Mom, what is up with great grandpa? He is all dressed up and rushing around. Where is he going?”

In nearly fifty years of pastoral ministry, I’ve heard many arguments against the separatist position, particularly ecclesiastical separation. I am now seventy-one and have been a separatist by conviction all my adult life. Recently, I paused to reflect on why I hold the convictions I do. Let me share five reasons.