The Christian Tactical Playbook
A Field Guide for Cultural Reconstruction
Transforming Our Culture and Communities For Christ

The Law of Opportunity and Timing 

This installment is a general introduction to the application of Biblical Doctrine to the American culture as it concerns itself with Timing and Opportunity. These directives were delivered in sermon form on July 25th 2004 at the Reformed Bible Church in Central Virginia and is available at SermonAudio.com. 

Opportunity and Timing In Providence

Strategy: Look for opportunities presented in the social arena for you and your team to address publicly.

For Example: What are the "Hot Topics" in the cultural arena: i.e. Moral issues, economic issues, political issues, educational issues, family issues etc. 

           a. Pick an issue and address it through various mediums: e.g. Letters to the Editor, Newsletters, meetings, etc. (A great resource here is Gary North's "Backwards Christian Soldiers)

           b. Lobby others. Even if these people do not become part of your team, use the numbers to pressure local, community and or state officials. Stir them, equip them, train them, use them.

          c. Be consistent. As long as you are being productive keep pressing the issue and engaging the topic in a public medium. Know when to continue and know when to abandon a plan of action. Fail fast. Do not beat a dead horse. Make your point; make it well; make it powerfully; cause others to consider your point of view even if they may disagree. Frame the debate in Theological terms without being too abstract. Think Teleological. Apply your principles to the Issue DIRECTLY.

You do not have to always pick areas which are groundbreaking and newsworthy. Keep it simple, keep it small. Tackle the small issues of the day in order to establish yourself and your team as the "Voice of God". Position yourself as an expert little by little. Make lasting impression by carefully considering your topics and debates.

Example: If you want to lobby your local legislative body on moral issues, pick ONE and develop your strategy with that one issue in mind. Identify the best tactics which fit your objective. If letters will work, use them. If personal confrontational lobbying is better, then organize an effort to meet and engage the mark. (note: The mark is the legislator) Choose wisely and execute a campaign.

Measure your progress: Keep a log of what you have accomplished. Share these with your team. Do not be discouraged if at first you do not attain the desired results. Keep at it. You will know when to abandon the effort. Just do not abandon it prematurely. Wait on the Lord's providence.

Principle: Goals help to crystallize strategies and tactics. Specific goal lend to specific strategies and tactics. Strategies and tactics are essential to victory.

Seek to develop a well thought out plan. When that is accomplished: Execute it with rigor.

Before anyone undertakes to debate against the common enemy of Christendom in the Name of the Sovereign King, namely secular humanism, one needs to be thoroughly familiar with the LAW of God as well as the strategy of the enemy. 

Therefore the first step BEFORE any undertaking is;

          1. STUDY THE SCRIPTURES 

The aim to studying the scriptures in the cause of engaging the culture is for PRACTICAL APPLICATION of God's Holy Law to the world. This application can be used in every area and in every discipline of society. Every debate MUST be framed within the Biblical Framework. God must define the situation being debated. Every debate MUST be brought to come to terms with God's Word whether the "mark" wishes to debate on theological terms or not. A practical knowledge of God's Law is essential. His Word is truly the Sword of the Spirit and the Weapons of the Christian Warfare.

See: Index of Biblical Law to assist you in this practical understanding.

                     a. Study the case laws from the Old Testament.
                     b. Study the Principles which give the parameters of the case laws. 

          2. DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS

This is different from team building. The Christian Team must have an honorable public testimony. This will assist them in facilitating a good community relationship. They need to position themselves as sober minded, honest and trustworthy. This takes TIME. It is usually done person by person. The team members must communicate to the members of the community either face to face or through various mediums. Be patient and "stick to it". Build relationships slowly and securely. Not everyone will be agreeable but everyone must at least know that the Word of God has been expounding.

Warning: Never compromise Biblical Ethics to secure relationships. "He that walketh with wise men will but a companion of fools will be destroyed." When communicating to the public appeal to their conscience and to their reason using Biblical Concepts. If they receive them you have built a relationship, if not, move on. 

                     a. Build a community data base. Those who are agreeable to the cause of Christ should be "identified and     
                    tagged" an placed into a data base for future communication and possible support. Make connections and  
                        keep them maintained with letters, emails, phone calls and meetings. 

          3. BE MINDFUL OF ETHICS

Ethics are everything. If your team or any one member of your team fails to maintain discretion your entire cause will be frustrated and therefore useless.  An ethical lifestyle and approach to every circumstance is essential.

Principle: All goals must be accomplished ethically and according to Biblical Mandates in order to be God Glorifying.

          4. PRIORITIZE 

Setting priorities is essential to realizing goals, therefore special attention needs to be given them. Do not try to do everything or take on a multitude of projects. List your objectives and prioritize them according to importance and NOT according to urgency. Urgent is not always important. Stick to your prioritized plan. Something will always present itself as urgent but that does not mean it is important.  

Principle: Goals are realized through prioritization. Prioritized focus and prioritized perseverance with the goal in sight is importance.

           5. LESSONS FROM PROVIDENCE

Be sensitive to natural consequences and the natural progression of circumstances remembering that it is God who is orchestrating these things. Learn from failure as well as victory. In fact, lessons from failure are usually more important and certainly leave a more lasting impression. 

           6. SACRIFICE

If you and your team are not willing to sacrifice for your cause you will find it very difficult to achieve it. Commitment is crucial to victory. 

As in most things in life, and especially in every military campaign, timing is important. It is important to the extent that it can be the difference between victory and total annihilation. A exposition on the importance and relevance of timing can be found in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and in Deuteronomy 1.21ff, especially verses 41-43 as it concerns warfare.

Many an opportunity has been lost as a result of poor preparation to act at a moments notice or the inability to act as a result of ill preparedness. A successful team needs to be well prepared and ready to act at a moments notice. Moral issues need to be addressed while they are in the forefront of the public's mind. As the saying goes. "strike while the iron is hot."

This takes training as well as organization. The ability to be prepared, trained and then to be mobilized at the right moment takes discipline and practice.

            I.  How to Mobilize your team to action?

     a. Set up an email data base to act as an information and galvanizing tool. Sounding the alarm is critical when an issue arises. 

     b. Be sure to designate certain members of your team, or every member of your team for that matter, as "Intel Gatherers". Have different people monitor different sectors of the community, ranging from legislation to education issues to local activities which affect your community, or state.

     c. Attend local/state legislative meetings.

     d. Get to know your local officials and your local newspaper editors. Try to win their confidence so they will freely share with you upcoming Intel. In this way you and your team can get a jump upon the issues and debates.

         II.  What to do when the timing is right?

     1. Sound the alarm. Use your Intel Gatherers to get the word out. Covey the urgency and importance of action when the timing is right. Make sure you detail the situation clearly so as to keep everyone up to speed as to the debate. Then, the ones who are most qualified to address the issue will come forward. Not every debate is tailored for every member of the team. This is why team member diversity makes a strong team.

     2.Reiterate the Vision clearly and simply to keep yourself and others on track and focused upon the Glory of God and the building of His Kingdom. Share the vision within the community of your team as well as publicly in the market place.

     3. Continue to build and refine yourself and your team. When selecting team  mates be sure they are well suited for the task. Do not affiliate with lazy ill suited individuals. this will only cause you to stumble. He will be the Achan of your army.

     4. Inspire your team to inspire others. Motivation unto mobilization to a wider motivation to mobilization of others.

     5. Listen, then communicate. Be sure ever member on the team, especially the team leader, is quick to hear and slow to speak.

     6. Build strong alliances. Be careful however with whom you build with. They must have the same vision and sympathetic to the Christian Cause. Otherwise leave it alone. Be cordial but non-committal. 

     7. Debrief with your team often. Inform all involved. There should be no communication lack. This is a formula for problems.

     8. Be innovative. Think outside the box. Read the Biblical case studies of warfare and leadership. Research and consider innovative ways to accomplish your objective.

     9. Make due with what you have. Do not wait until you have more; more help, more resources, more influence, more connections, more time, more money etc. Use what you have. If you are faithful with the little that you have the Lord will provide more.  Stewardship is the key to success and productivity.

     10. Harass the enemy unceasingly. Never give up. Be consistent in the culture war. Give the enemy no rest. Kindle the passions of others by showing them that you mean business. Do not allow them to rest or re-gain their foothold. This takes time and work. It takes diligence and commitment. 

     11. Refuse to loose. Turn a negative situation into a positive one. Remember Joseph in Egypt and Moses in Pharaoh's house.

     12. Be a Risk Taker. Takes wise risks, which means in the Name and for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. Move forward in faith.

     13. Seek to Create a New Culture after the Image of God and His Law. Refuse to compromise the Gospel.

     14. Follow Through. Finish what you start. It is easy to initiate and then sit back and watch the work being done. It is quite another to initiate and follow through to its desired end. Stick to it. Be accountable. Be responsible to the end.