What Shirley Boone Taught Her Girls
The late Shirley Boone tells in her autobiography of 1972 that she gave her four pretty girls some good advice. One Woman’s Liberation explains that she did her best to prepare them for courtship. The younger Shirley told them to go ahead and settle the hormone issue before being alone with a young man.
Before that “magic” moment of being with that handsome fellow with his bulging muscles, nice smile, soothing voice, and so forth, that the daughter would have things settled in her mind that hormones would not ruin her life. A girl needed to have her arsenal of one-liners ready beforehand. For example, she could say things like “My daddy is waiting up for me.” “I have a curfew.” “I have to be up at 5:00 tomorrow morning.” Girls are the gatekeepers in the relationships, unfortunately. But many noble young men also have a reputation they are protecting. They are not always the culprits.
In the same way, Christians need to be “fore-armed” with well proven defenses against the attacks of the devil. We are not ignorant of his devices and can expect some of the same maneuvers he used against Jesus, our hero. Just as he (the devil) attacked, failed, and came back again toward Jesus, he does the same thing toward Christians. (Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.)
As Joyce Meyer points out, the main battlefield is our own mind. Our mind is where Satan likes to inject his poisonous doubts. At such a time, it is good to have some “one-liners” ready, lines like “I don’t have time, Satan.” “Lord Jesus, thank you for all your suffered for me.”
One common doubt that the devil tries to point out is that all others are not buying into the doctrine we have given ourselves to. Our one liner can include things like, “I’m sorry others failed to yield to God’s truth, but I’m going with Him and His eternal word.”
Also, the chart below is a powerful tool in deflecting doubts about Jesus and His identity. I have often simply told Satan, “I don’t have time right now to discuss this, but the chart has already settled it for me that Jesus’ life was unique, valid in every way.”
It was validated by RAMP, the resurrection, archaeology, miracles, and prophecies about Him fulfilled. No other life can stand up to this “acid test” of the Christian Messiah, developed by Dr. Frank Barber and explained in his gospel tract “Got Life.” (www.gotlifeministries.org.)
It is seen in a Biblical account. John the Baptist was locked up in prison and succumbed to a mental game of doubt. He sent some of his men to Jesus and asked, “Are you the one that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3) Jesus used all of RAMP that he could at the time; the resurrection had not happened yet; archeology was still current surroundings. That left miracles and prophecy. Miracles were happening right in front of John’s men, and Jesus’ life was a complete fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Jesus told John’s men to go report the miracles that they were seeing first-hand. Common people were calling Jesus the son of David. (Mark 10:46-52), and the prophecy of Isaiah 35 was happening right before them. (See Luke 7:19)
If after meditating on the chart below, anyone who wants a friend to pray along to accept this living Savior, call someone who would be thrilled with your decision or contact the author of this blog.
Jesus and Other Religions
Comparing Jesus with other leaders or books of other religions, using RAMP acrostic as the “acid test”: (Chart in Word will not convert to this format.)
Religion:
1. Christianity
2. Islam
3. Hinduism
4. Judaism
Leader:
1. Jesus
2. Mohammed
3. gods
4. Moses
Book:
1. Old & New Testament (OT & NT)
2. Quran or Koran
3. The Vedas
4. Old Testament (OT)
R =Resurrection:
1. He predicted his own; followers taught it.
2. None
3. None
4. None
A =Archaeology:
1. Then, historical sites; now archaeology digs.
2. Historical sites
3. None
4. Historical sites
M= Miracles:
1. Many in NT; predicted in OT; done by followers
2. None
3. None
4. Some done in OT to verify God’s leading.
P=Prophecy:
1. His life, death, & deeds predicted.
2. None; his followers say that the Holy Spirit promises predict Mohammed
3. None
4. None
Notes: Examples of historical sites - Jacob’s well, Rachel’s tomb.
Additional clarification of RAMP method:
R= Resurrection, good apologetics by Josh McDowell in books Evidence That Demands a Verdict and by Josh and his son (Sean) in More Than a Carpenter. Josh and Sean are also on Internet.
A= Archaeology. Ask someone who has been to Israel about the tour guide lectures of Siloam Pools, church sites established by Constantine’s mother (Helena), home of Peter, and many others. See also Internet for archaeologist Eli Shukron.
M= Miracles, cited by secular sources in “Got Life” tract; NT (New Testament) full of His miracles. “Got Life” shows what a secular source says when testifying about the existence of Jesus when it says that a “false” Messiah was executed for “magic” on the Passover of Jesus’ death. This “magic” spoke of His healing power. Remember the scribes and Pharisees attributed His power to the power of Satan; they didn’t want to give Him the credit of the bona fide power of God to heal. This group in the secular crowd of “Got Life” citation resorted to “magic,” not the devil’s power. Sounds familiar. Records still show that our Passover Lamb was crucified for us on that memorable night in fulfillment of Jesus’s being the ultimate Passover lamb. None of His bones were broken; the Roman soldier saw that He was already dead and didn’t need to break His bones to make Him suffocate early in the crucifixion process.
P= Prophecy, OT (Old Testament) has dozens of prophecies about life of Messiah, all fulfilled by Jesus, most (all) not self-fulfilled. Example, He was on the cross when soldiers gambled for His clothes. Mohammed predicted that he would go to Medina and went, a self-fulfilled prophecy.
Be prepared beforehand with answers to these questions for witnessing or for telling Satan you don’t have time for his doubts.
The following is good to know if someone says, “I only accept something proven scientifically.” There are two ways to offer proof, scientifically and historically. Scientific proof is repeatable, like setting up an experiment. Historical proof is done by reliable records, credible eye witnesses, and structures where party lived. Example of last: Prove that George Washington lived in Virginia. See court records, his contemporaries’ words, his home (Mt. Vernon, about twelve miles from DC), etc.
The life of Jesus is proven by historical evidence beyond a reasonable doubt (i.e., eye witnesses still alive for many years – in 1 Cor. 15; an enemy assented to His resurrection – Paul the Apostle; no human body ever found; contemporaries never produced a corpse; archaeology never refutes Jesus’ claims; followers died for its [the resurrection’s] veracity when they could have avoided torture and death.
Not credible evidence would be theory that Washington was flown in on a Martian space ship, no evidence.
God will orchestrate the Grand Finale to this amazing drama when He decides to send Jesus back to culminate His plan for our little planet. May we all be ready for that moment!