The recent Supreme Court decision overturning Massachusetts’ abortion clinic “buffer zone” is cause for great celebration. On a national level we celebrate the decision as evidence of God’s grace upon the United States of America. God, who is sovereign in the affairs of men, has seen fit to keep the door open for the soul saving, baby rescuing ministry of the Law and Gospel at America’s abortion clinics (Prov. 21:1). SCOTUS’s defense of the First Amendment is not simply a fortuitous turn of events, it is divine providential grace. It is a call to Bible believing, Gospel believing, unborn baby loving Christians to minster grace and truth on the doorstep of every abortion clinic from sea to shining sea (Prov. 24:11-12).
On a local legal level, we celebrate last week’s SCOTUS decision as a victory over Brad Avakian’s attempt to circumvent the First Amendment and shut down abortion clinic ministry in Oregon through the misuse of the press, and the use and abuse of his Oregon state government office to make threats of prison time and exorbitant fines. In early August, 2013, an article appeared in Portland’s ultra-liberal, pro-LGBT, pro-abortion Willamette Week newspaper stating that the Oregon State Labor Commissioner, Brad Avakian, had “started an informal inquiry into the Lovejoy Surgicenter protesters (Beaverton Grace Bible Church) under Oregon’s laws banning discrimination and requiring ‘full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of any place of public accommodation.’” The WW article goes on to say, “It’s the same law state officials use to prohibit discrimination based on race, religion or sexual orientation.” Mr. Avakian attempted to thwart the Constitutional rights of citizens to publicly speak to other Americans about abortion, God’s Law, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a misapplied discrimination law. Beaverton Grace Bible Church and our partners from other local churches don’t discriminate. We speak with grace and truth to men and women of all ethnicities about choosing life at the Lovejoy Surgicenter. We preach the Law and the Gospel to all regardless of race, gender, or creed. (Video Games on Lovejoy -Willamette Week)
The Oregonian (who regularly endorses Brad Avakian for political office) followed the Willamette Week’s lead with an article by Nicole Friedman:
“The Bureau of Labor and Industries is informally investigating whether new protesters (BGBC) outside the Lovejoy Surgicenter are violating state law by denying people access to the center. The bureau is trying to determine whether the protesters are violating women’s civil rights by denying them access to the clinic based on gender, Burr said. It would be the first time this civil rights statute has been used to address anti-abortion protests, he said. The bureau used the same statute to investigate allegations that Portland’s Twilight Room Annex, formerly known as the P Club, denied access to transgender people, he said…Chuck O’Neal, pastor of Beaverton Grace Bible Church, has visited the Northwest Portland center to preach on the sidewalk about once a week for several months, he said. Sometimes he is joined by five or six members of his church or other churches, he said. “It’s not really a protest,” O’Neal said. “It is a consistent biblical ministry of the law and the gospel.” The church has posted videos dating back to April on its website of O’Neal speaking outside the clinic. A bureau employee saw protests outside the clinic on the way to work and notified the bureau’s civil rights division, Burr said. The bureau has interviewed clinic staff and neighbors and watched the protesters, he said. O’Neal said that the bureau would not find evidence of civil rights violations “unless they conjure something up.” “Are we in any way blocking their entrance? Are we in any way disallowing them the opportunity to take the life of their child?” he said of people who visit the clinic. “No. Unfortunately, many go right on by and go inside.”
In one video posted on the church’s website, a woman [ABORTION NURSE] outside the clinic holds up a sign that reads, “Beaverton Grace Bible Church intimidates women.” In response, O’Neal can be heard saying to her: “If you’re a woman who murders children, ma’am, or aids in the murder of children, then I definitely would want you intimidated, that you wouldn’t do that. But our purpose is not to intimidate you. Our purpose is to love you and to warn you of the wrath to come.” (State informally investigating protests at abortion clinic in Northwest Portland -Oregonian)
Brad Avakian is attempting to override the First Amendment with a twisted application of an antidiscrimination law, but not just any antidiscrimination law. As an Oregon state legislator, in 2007, he wrote the antidiscrimination law that he is now robustly wielding against Bible believing Christians as the Oregon state Labor Commissioner. In August of 2013, consistent with his homosexual political activism, Brad Avakian used his law against Aaron and Melissa Klein (Christian owners of the Sweet Cakes bakery) for declining to make a wedding cake that went against their Biblical values for a lesbian marriage that the state of Oregon didn’t even recognize as lawful (Legal Woes Not Over for Oregon Bakery Forced Underground for Refusing to Make Cake for Same Sex Wedding -Victoria Taft). If you follow the links on Mr. Avakian’s Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries website, you’ll find an open and passionate union with the LGBT community. Brad Avakian is a leading LGBT civil rights activist, lawyer, and politician in Oregon. He is a key voice and influence promoting the homosexual agenda and gay marriage legislation in Oregon. He regularly champions the U.S. Constitution in the advancement of the LGBT agenda, but in sharp contrast seeks to trample the U.S. Constitution when it comes to the right of Christians to minister the Word of God at abortion clinics in the state of Oregon. If you speak out loud, proud, and publically for the LGBT cause, abortion cause, or any other liberal cause that Mr. Avakian agrees with, he is all for it. If you speak out boldly and publically for a cause Mr. Avakian opposes, he will use his position and power in an attempt to intimidate you, imprison you, fine you, shut you up, and shut you down.
On August 26th, 2013, Brad Avakian sent a registered letter with Oregon state seal letterhead, addressed to “Mr. Charles O’Neal and other reproductive health center protesters.” The letter was a bold attempt to suppress the First Amendment and shut down the public proclamation of the Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Portland’s most murderous abortion clinic, the Lovejoy Surgicenter. Mr. Avakian’s letter closed with a threat of “one year in prison and a $6,250.00 fine per violation.” Last August the LGBT activist, pro-abortion Oregon State Labor Commissioner misused the press and abused the authority of his office in an attempt to thwart the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Last week the U.S. Supreme Court put Brad Avakian’s pro-abortion activism in check.
The Oregonian and Willamette Week both reported on the SCOTUS “buffer zone” decision, and they both made reference to Mr. Avakian’s “investigation” into Beaverton Grace Bible Church’s abortion clinic ministry. One article accurately mentioned that no violations were found. The Oregonian erroneously reported that “investigators met with clinic workers and leaders of Beaverton’s Grace Bible Church.” To be very clear, the Machiavellian registered letter, threatening prison and fines, was the first and last contact BGBC had with Brad Avakian’s BOLI. No BOLI official ever “met with” or talked to any member or leader from BGBC.
Beaverton Grace Bible Church has been at Portland’s most murderous abortion clinic nearly every week for the last year. We’re often joined by Christians from other Portland area churches. By God’s gracious provision we will continue to minister grace and truth, Law and Gospel at the Lovejoy Surgicenter and other local abortion clinics until the slaughter of unborn children comes to an end. One goal of our upcoming Biblical Church Evangelism Conference (Aug. 11-17) is to encourage and equip pastors and churches for Abortion Clinic Evangelism. We invite Bible believing Christians across America and in the Pacific Northwest to join us in loving unborn children, their parents, and abortion clinic workers with action and truth. May God grant that lives and souls will be saved. May the Lord be pleased to grant the abortion clinic owners, doctors, nurses, receptionists, their allies in the liberal press, and their political ally (Brad Avakian) repentance and saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
*What does a baby rescuing, soul saving abortion clinic ministry of the Law and Gospel look like? Watch the Law and Gospel go forth, and a child’s precious life saved outside of the Lovejoy Surgicenter abortion clinic: Abortion Clinic Law & Gospel Ministry is Saving Lives
*What is the truth about abortion and those that work in abortion clinics? An abortion nurse confesses on video, “I have babies to kill now.” Pray that this woman will turn from her sin and look to Jesus Christ to be saved: Abortion Nurse Confession: “I have babies to kill now.”
