What a horrendous thought! Without leg bones, arm bones, rib cage, spine or skull, a person would be reduced to a blob! Think about the changes it would make in every aspect of life. Without finger bones, we could no longer handle the thousands of things we must handle in everyday routines. Without foot and leg bones, we could not stand up or walk around. Without a rib cage or skull the vital organs would crush each other and be incapable of functioning properly. We would be intolerably vulnerable to every simple injury. In a word, we would DIE without a skeleton. We simply could not live!

True doctrine is the backbone of your soul.

In a spiritual way, the skeleton example illustrates exactly how significant TRUE DOCTRINE is in the life of a Christian believer.

You would have to be blind not to notice that the overwhelming trend in religion today is toward ecumenism, or worldwide unity among religions (including non-Christians). The emphasis is on finding only the very most primitive common denominators in religion, and throwing out all the details. Doctrine is literally a major taboo. But God is shoved completely out of the picture by such thinking.

What is ecumenism? Roget’s Thesaurus gives these synonyms for ecumenism: “broadness, looseness, imprecision, inexactness, indiscrimination.” Simply put, the religious impetus of this generation is toward inexactness! Popular culture is forcing religion to be politically correct and NOT say anything specific that would give it a specific identity. Nowadays, religion must be inexact, imprecise, or loose to be acceptable. But that is NOT the Christianity of Jesus Christ.

Take a look for yourself and you will see religious bodies abandoning their ancient doctrinal beliefs. The Roman Catholic Church spawned the Ecumenical movement with VATICAN II back in the 1960′s. The purpose was to bring as many religions as possible under the influence of the Catholic Church by condescending to all religions. But ecumenism has taken its toll in many ways on the Catholic Church itself. The Society of Jesuits were for centuries the “Pope’s men,” unquestionably loyal to the Roman Catholic doctrine and papacy. But in the past few decades, the Jesuits have abandoned historical Roman church doctrine and become global change-masters for “Liberation Theology,” painting Jesus Christ as a Radical Socialist Revolutionary (as was seen in the Sandinista movement in Nicaragua, and spreading like wildfire around the globe). Some say they are now adversaries of the Pope himself, but the jury is still out on whether the Magisterium itself (the Roman Catholic hierarchy) is now embracing Liberation Theology (Catholic Socialism).

Southern Baptists in America argue whether the Bible is the infallible word of God. Their forefathers would roll over in their graves. All around the world, so-called Christianity drifts further and further from the infallible doctrines of the Bible in favor of new, humanistic thinking and loose, liberal pseudo-theologies. Atheism and agnosticism are no longer commodities of the heathen alone. Even powerful religious leaders openly express their cynicism and doubts about the ancient teachings of the Bible. So why don’t they simply abandon religion instead of perverting it beyond recognition? Without a “backbone” of divine, eternal truth, all religion is ultimately doomed anyway.

Then, the Episcopal Church, and many others, have now approved homosexual lifestyles in their fellowship, even electing homosexual Bishops, despite nearly 4,000 years of sacred Biblical (and secular) history that clearly denounced homosexuality as an abomination in the eyes of God. Divine law says, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them,” Leviticus 20:13.

But modern men defiantly and flagrantly foist their shameful lusts into the public eye, and perpetrate criminal reprisals against anyone who criticizes them. The cost for taking homosexuality mainstream is the corruption and weakening of the greatest force for good in the history of the world – the Church of Jesus Christ. Because of our unwillingness to stand by this ancient, divine doctrine, we are witnessing the melt-down of western civilization.

Ecumenical religion has no backbone.

I will make it my business to continually restate and reaffirm the greatest doctrines of the Bible. Without them, we are subject and vulnerable to every whim of man. We cannot stand or move without true doctrine. We cannot work or be profitable without doctrine. Doctrine is our feet and legs; it is our hands and arms, our rib cage, our skull. If we do not believe the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God, then we have no backbone. If we do not believe there is but One God, and know who He is, we have no skull. To have NO DOCTRINE is to have NO LIFE.

Rejecting ancient, well-defined and time-tested precepts of the Bible is a prescription for ANARCHY.

The Royal Society of London uses as its motto the words of the ancient poet, Horace (65-8 BC), “In the word of no master am I bound to believe.” No master? Refusing to believe in the wisdom of the ages? Trying to reinvent the human race in every generation? How foolish. How fickle. But somehow, this mindset is growing like a giant tumor around the jugular veins of all western society. Nobody wants to be bound to the words of any master. No authority. Every man wants to do what is best in his own eyes. But any society that denies the mastery of ancient wisdom, particularly the Word of Almighty God, is begging for anarchy and perpetual chaos. Unless and until this generation submits to the mastery of Jesus Christ – “God with us” – society will only accelerate its nosedive into complete anarchy, social chaos, and at last, an implosion.

If any definition of God is acceptable, then no definition is legitimate!

If Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed are equal sons of God to Jesus Christ, then being a son of God is impertinent (as many would have us believe). But the deity of Jesus Christ is NOT impertinent. It is the greatest doctrine of all doctrines.

Any time we refuse to believe in absolute values, especially about things pertaining to God, we subject ourselves to the spiritual equivalent of AIDS: a body loses its resistance to harmful things. No thinking person can logically or rationally denounce the significance of right and wrong. Life must have explicit values of black and white. Everything cannot be gray.

The inspired, infallible Word of God is His structure for us.

God is a Spirit, incarnate in the body of Jesus Christ. He is our Creator. He gave us His law at the hand of Moses by many mighty miracles. The law was our schoolmaster, to bring us to Christ. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are inescapable truths. They are the basis of our eternal hope and salvation. Our repentance and death to selfishness is a symbol of His death. Our baptism in His name symbolizes our burial with Him. Our baptism in the Holy Spirit speaks of His resurrection unto eternal life.

Jesus taught Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again,” John 3:5-7.

No one can enter the eternal Kingdom of God without having repented of his or her sins, and being baptized, in both water and Spirit. Those who obey Jesus’ words are born again into His body, the Church.

Then, the Apostle Paul has a message for the Church. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty,” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

God calls all men out and away from the world’s ways and vices to be holy, separate people unto Him.

Jesus also promised to return to earth at the end of the age to resurrect the righteous dead and receive the righteous living into His presence. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also,” John 14:1-3.

Finally, He promises to destroy the evil powers on earth, and set up an earthly government for 1,000 years. Afterward, He will form a new and eternal heaven and earth.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh,” Revelation 19:11-21.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God,” Romans 14:11.

These are irrefutable doctrines. I will believe them, preach them and live by them. I have a backbone.

Every path began as a rugged course.

The courses our modern highways follow were once raw frontier land. Today, we take for granted the fast-moving, multiple-lanes, wide-shouldered, brightly lit and well-marked “freeways,” almost never remembering the old paths. The best paths we take today are the old paths, the ancient landmarks that have proven to be right and safe for a long, long time.

These old paths were once new paths that were rough-hewn out of terrain that defied progress. All of nature seemed to oppose it. There were obstacles of all kinds – geological formations that rose up and dipped down; surface conditions that sank and bogged; shrubs and weeds and trees and creek-bottoms and rocks.

The spiritual application of this fact is that all our modern revelation of God should be based on the most ancient and proven of Biblical teachings and practices. It is entirely too dangerous to be “re-inventing the wheel” when it comes to religion. We do not need a new religion, a new God, or a new way to have church. We need to cling to the old, unchangeable, non-negotiable truths of the Bible. We need to stick to the old paths. And I am not speaking of “old” as in 20 years or even 50 years ago. I am speaking of New Testament beliefs and practices.

Trail Blazers cut the Old Paths

Think how the old paths came to be old paths. The men and women whose destinies lay beyond the commonly traveled routes were forced to blaze new trails. They literally burned the terrain in some cases. Then, with whatever tools necessary, they carved their way through wildernesses, forests, prairies, mountains, hills and valleys, creeks and rivers.

The average person knows precious little about conquering frontiers, or the awesome risks encountered by men like Columbus and Magellan, who first explored the wonders of the world.

Prince Henry, the Navigator

Early in the fifteenth century, a Portuguese mariner known as Prince Henry the Navigator began seeking a new route to the East. Up to that time, European trade routes to the Orient were long and dangerous overland journeys, beset by natural hazards, robbers and the fierce competition of merchants from Asian and Middle-eastern countries.

For more than forty years, Prince Henry the Navigator pored over maps and sent forth expeditions to explore the coastlines of Africa. His own invention, the compass, enabled him to pursue a course more accurately than ever before. Prince Henry died in 1460, before any of his expeditions had explored the entire length of Africa.

Bartholomew Diaz, then Vasco de Gama

But in 1486, following the OLD PATHS of Prince Henry, Bartholomew Diaz was able to sail around the southern tip of Africa. A disgruntled crew forced him to turn back. Not until 1497, following the OLD PATHS of Diaz, did Vasco de Gama sail around Africa, into the Indian Ocean to the West Coast of India. The King of Portugal later endowed him with the lavish title, “Lord of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce.”

Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan

At almost the same time in history, Christopher Columbus was penetrating uncharted horizons to the west, in search of a shortcut to the East. Four times he accidentally discovered the Americas without realizing the magnitude of his accomplishment. Within a few years, his OLD PATHS had inspired and helped direct Ferdinand Magellan completely around the world, for the first time in history.

Abraham, Father of the Faithful

Every old path was once a new path. Biblical trailblazers like Abraham marched off the maps in search of their destinies. He obeyed the Lord and forsook his ancestors and homeland for a land of inheritance where the Lord Himself would lead him. Today, the trail that was new to Abraham is our old path. We often define bold faith in Abrahamic terms.

Jacob vs. Esau

Jacob blazed a trail looking for his inheritance. His unconventional tactics are still a shock to the methodologists. We presume that we would be just like Jacob in desiring the divine birthright and the Lord’s blessing. But if we had been first-hand observers, we might have pitched a fit over Jacob’s goat-hair lie, or the fake venison, because we cannot comprehend how Jacob justified his means for the end. Yet God’s opinion is clear, if not shocking: “…I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau,” (Malachi 1:3,4).

This shows how we tend to dream, like Jacob, about exciting frontiers to conquer, such as the blessing of God that would revive our souls and our churches, but how unprepared we are to actually march off the map, and find it. More times than not, we slander the man who first steps across the line from complacency into unexplored territory. Progress is inherently, inevitably, and unavoidably controversial, because it is truly dangerous and unchartable in advance. But progress is worth the risks.

Queen Esther

Young Queen Esther needed to approach the King for a favor, but there were no precedents for approaching the King safely without being bidden. The law stated that anyone who entered unbidden into the king’s throne-room must be put to death. But real desperation defies danger. Esther concluded, “if I perish, I perish,” then boldly approached the throne of King Ahasuerus for help. She got what she went for.

The Four Starving Lepers

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. The four starving lepers sat in the gates of their city, contemplating their fate. None of their options were good. They were starving to death in the gate. There was famine in the city. And outside the city were enemies.

But the latter had at least some potential. “Why sit we here until we die?” (2 Kings 7:3). “Let us fall into the hands of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live. If they kill us, we shall but die.”

When they rose up, God showed them favor, and when they arrived at the Syrian camp, no one was there. The Syrians mysteriously heard the noises of ensuing chariots, horses, and a great army, and fled. The four starving lepers raided the place. God had intervened in their behalf.

After a sumptuous feast to squelch their hunger, they reported their day’s good fortune to their king. Then, the Israelites followed the OLD PATH of the lepers, and found abundant spoils of silver, gold, raiment, and vessels. Everybody benefited from the faith of a few desperate men, and the trail they blazed to victory.

The Psychology of Fences

A well-known sociologist reported this finding: In observing school children at play, those who were sent out into a school yard WITHOUT fences tended to hover near the building for security. Those who were sent into a school yard WITH fences, tended to run freely and play more ambitiously.

This example demonstrates that we are able to learn more and have a better overall spiritual experience if we will stay within certain boundaries in religion. Fences keep us on the old, familiar paths.

Our experiences will be much richer if we are “bounded” by a fence of doctrinal truth and godly, holy living. We are likely to experience far more in life by always keeping the most important doctrines and beliefs nearby, than if we abandon ancient beliefs and practices to wander off into a disconnected unknown, totally detached from God and ancient truth.

Exploration must begin with, and be anchored to familiar routes

If we are afraid of “falling off the edges,” we will seldom, if ever, move away from a well-worn trail of behavioral habits, even though they may deprive us of experiencing the thrill and exhilaration of true freedom. On the other hand, if we will keep constantly in mind the fact that the Biblical precepts of truth and holiness form a protective fence around us, we will be more apt to explore and exercise our real spiritual potentials. As long as we never lose sight of the great Bible doctrines of the oneness of God, the name of Jesus, the water and spirit birth, and the holy, sanctified life, we should feel free to “press the envelope,” and stretch, and move into new dimensions of the Spirit, without defiling our sacred purpose.

The Evolution of Ministry

Religion experiences periodic upheavals that thrust entire movements into new paths. In the not-too-distant past, church congregations in America were formed without the advantage of permanent buildings such as we have today. Congregations met under arbors made from brush, tents hastily erected, and rough-hewn tabernacles, devoid of such modern conveniences as electricity and plumbing. The musical worship in those days utilized portable instruments such as guitars, fiddles and accordions.

When buildings were finally built, pump organs and oldtime upright pianos moved in. As time progressed, electric lights came on, and eventually, electric organs and grand pianos became the norm. Now we see computerized keyboards, synthesizers, drums, and entire orchestras incorporated into our worship. What’s next?

But Old Paths led us to this.

We need not fear the NEW that has come as a natural outgrowth of the OLD, as long as THE FENCE IS STILL UP. As long as we never veer from the old paths that brought us to where we are today, we should have confidence that the old paths will ultimately lead us to the right places. On the contrary, if we ABANDON the old paths, and REMOVE the ancient landmarks, we are certain to find ourselves in completely foreign territory with no semblance of truth or righteousness. We cannot and must not forsake the great New Testament truths that have revolutionized and converted men for 2,000 years.

The early explorers marched off the map, applying ancient navigational principles to new instruments and technology, but their new searches were all fixed to their original positions. It is now possible for us to conduct exploits in new ways that were never even heard of or dreamed of in previous generations, but we have no mandate to go anywhere, no matter how exotic or daring, if we do not take with us the original Apostles’ doctrines and godliness based upon the eternal truths of God’s Word.

We must not stop at the dead ends!

Like Abraham, we have a right to claim everything that the soles of our feet shall tread upon. God says, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession,” Psalms 2:8. We have come this far by faith, and we cannot please God if we stop walking by faith.

If we want the heathen for our inheritance, we must diligently pursue the direction God has led us. If we hesitate, or balk at the prospect, we may find ourselves unable to gaze at the horizon for grief that we may never know what lies beyond it. The OLD PATHS will begin to run backwards to the places where miracles never happened, and the desperation was overwhelming.

In the final analysis, old paths lead to newness of life

Paul told the Romans to “walk in the NEWNESS of life” (Romans 6:4) and “serve in NEWNESS of spirit”(7:6). Walking the OLD PATHS will not lead to a dead-end of redundancy, but to a NEW and refreshing and vibrant walk with the Lord.

If you carefully follow the old paths each day, you will eventually find yourself at a frontier. But you will have the assurance that you are at the right place as you march off the map. Take everything you have learned to this point, and keep it bound up in your soul. Then march confidently toward the challenges of a new day.

From 1996 – 1998 he served as associate pastor and attended the mission Church of God in Jackson, Tennessee. Brother C. E. Taylor was pastor but his physical conditions required Pastor Scott to do most of the preaching. Brother, C. E. Taylor, went to heaven an Pastor Scott did not have my credentials at that time with The Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee. So he went back into evangelistic work.

In his sixth-year of ministry he was credential in the Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee In 1999 he begin to pastor, the Henderson Church of God And was there for eight years.

Pastor Scott & Sis. Ann Bane have been in the Ministry since 1994. They are an awesome team and bring allot of love and experience to the Smyrna Church of God.   After Pastoring nearly 8 years in west Tennessee God spoke and they found themselves back home in the Middle Tennessee area. After assuming the role of Senior Pastors here at SCOG Pastor Bane quickly began to fast and pray and reach out to the Smyrna community. As the Church began to grow many who were unsaved found themselves at the altar starting a new life.

Smyrna Church of God, under the leadership of Pastor Bane, has a new vision. One that will reach past religious tradition into the heart of the community bringing souls to the cross, and leading Gods children into their destiny.