These misguided souls [abortion industry workers] are our brothers and sisters in Christ, whether you like it or not.

You can call someone a “baby killer” all day long.

Not one of them left because people yelled at them and told them that they were going to hell. – Abby Johnson

Does confrontational preaching at abortion centers work? Does urgent pleading to repent produce true converts to Jesus Christ?

The evidence shows that when we go and stand at abortion mills and preach the Gospel, it is effective. Not only do women turn away from abortion, but some are convicted of their sin and repent. When we picket abortionists’ neighborhoods and places of business, we see quite a number quit the trade of child killing. Reducing the number of abortionists in any region is an effective tactic in turning the tide of child murder. When boldly go into the “highways and byways” with the Good News of salvation, we confront the culture with the reality of sin, death and hell.

We do this out of love for God, preborn children and those committing the sin of child murder. It is out of love that we use strong biblical rhetoric to speak of the abortion holocaust. It is out of love that we show the horror of the aftermath of abortion through graphic images. It is out of love that we tell aborting fathers that they are cowards for not defending the lives of their children. It is out of love that we tell aborting moms that they are murdering little ones who were created in the image of God. It is out of love that we tell people who murder their children that they are bound for hell unless they repent.

Below are three video testimonies of abortion industry workers who quit in recent years. These are just in the Orlando area alone.

In May 2012, abortionist Scott Spagnolo-Hye announced on video that he was quitting abortions and going into family practice. Sidewalk evangelist John Barros wrote on his Facebook page:

I have been speaking to Scott Hye for about two years. I have prayed with him and shared God’s Word with him. I have even stood in front of his house. I have continued to pray and talk to him. He has said he hated doing abortions, but after so long I wondered. Then today, he promised that he is going to quit and said he would meet with me to discuss where he stands with God and repentance. Won’t you pray with me? – John Barros

An abortion clinic worker in Orlando quit on the spot one Saturday morning, August 20th, 2011 after talking with sidewalk counselor Daniel Howell and several of the team who minister each week at All Women’s Health Center abortion mill in Altamonte Springs, Florida. She never made it inside. We invited her to church the next day. She attended and sat with us. Clarissa came to church again the next week and publicly professed faith in Christ during an evangelistic service. – Deanna Waller

A lady stopped by today to see what we were doing. She confessed that she ran the All Women’s Health Center abortion clinic for 10-1/2 years. She was absolutely amazed at what was going on here. She saw the Reformation Bible College kids as well as a couple others singing hymns and conversations going on with people coming for abortions. Terri also saw ladies that had come to Christ here and the joy that was in their hearts. She encouraged us all to never quit. I got to spend quite a bit of time speaking with her. She told how abortionist Randall Whitney worked for her and he hasn’t changed a bit. She has repented of her sin and is in a church. She is dealing with the consequences of her sin and there is much pain. – John Barros

In each of these cases, the workers were confronted – at their jobs, in their communities, and even in their neighborhoods – with the reality that abortion is child murder. What is important to remember is that each of them encountered a number of rebukes and exhortations – some harsh and others gentle – but the two women have shown Godly sorrow for their own sin. Once converted to Christ, they did not throw rocks at those who were trying to snatch them from the fire.

These former abortion industry workers are scarred individuals who live with a lot of pain and guilt over what they experienced killing preborn children for a living. Dozens more we’ve talked to have not been interviewed on video. Throughout the nation, hundreds if not thousands of abortion industry workers have not only quit their jobs, but have come to faith in Jesus Christ due to Gospel preaching. If the message is to be loving and compassionate toward them, then we hear that loud and clear.

In the case of abortionist Scott Hye, he did not profess Christ, but expressed great joy in leaving the child killing profession. John Barros let him know that he was one of the group that had picketed his neighborhood several times. He also told him repeatedly to repent. Anyone who knows of John Barros’ ministry knows that he uses strong biblical preaching over and above any other approach. Scott Hye now works as a neuromusculoskeletal specialist in south Florida.

Here is a short video about my friend John Barros, who heads up the ministry, Who Will Stand. Consider that there are thousands more like John throughout America bringing the Word of God boldly to the gates of hell and seeing miraculous results.

Norma McCorvey used to work for an abortion clinic in Dallas. The Operation Rescue National office was next door. She said she used to come and spend many hours there because the spirit in that office was so different. Finally, she professed Christ. If you have followed the ministry of Flip Benham and Operation Save America you will see a demeanor that is both loving and confrontational. True love is tough love.

T.H.I.N.K. for a minute!

In writing this article, I am trying to apply the acrostic THINK.

T – is it True
H – is it Helpful
I – does it Inspire confidence
N – is it Necessary
K – is it Kind

In the history of The Forerunner since it began in 1981, this has been our policy. If I can find a good thing to say about a person, I try to note that, even if the person is not a professing Christian. It is honoring to God to accentuate the positive in any person. Since we are all image bearers of God, He is able to work even through the actions of people who are opposed to Him through “common grace.” However, only those who are born-again are called, “children of God” (1 John 3:1). The Apostle John goes on to write, “For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” It is a grave error to speak of child murderers as our “brothers and sisters in Christ.”

The quotes used here are an example of a typical attitude within the pro-life movement. The intent is not to attack anyone personally. I have encountered the same error among dozens of pro-life leaders. I have heard this compelling, yet false, argument from all quarters of the movement, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Reformed, evangelical and charismatic. I could just as easily replace Abby’s name here with “Pastor X.”

So when I mention Abby Johnson, it is as a poster child, not a punching bag. I hope Abby Johnson reforms her views. As she likes to point out, she is a novice. She was accepted into the role of a spokesperson too soon, but I hope the best for her.

And Then There Were None is the ministry of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood CEO. In the past four years since her conversion to the pro-life cause, she has valiantly tried to reach out to those who were formerly trapped in the child killing industry.

She has also become a vocal critic of sidewalk preaching at abortion clinics. In her frequent postings on the Internet, she frequently issues a disclaimer that she is a novice in ministry and “no expert.” Then she goes on to claim that she certainly knows what works and what does not. She uses her own experience as a convert as proof.

I was heartened when I first heard about another abortion industry worker’s conversion. I don’t need to agree with Abby Johnson on everything in order to be glad that she is no longer caught in a destructive lifestyle. She wants to help others escape as well. Abby is the latest Wunderkind trotted out by pro-life ministries as evidence that none are so lost that they cannot be saved. I’d be even more heartened if she would exhibit the same “non-judgmental” attitude she preaches toward those doing sidewalk evangelism at abortion mills.

That being said, Abby Johnson is a “work in progress.” She is far from perfect. She does not speak for what is always effective despite her powerful testimony. She doesn’t stand in judgment of the entire movement. She cannot peer into other people’s hearts to see how “loving” they in fact are and what motivates them.

Instead we judge a tree by its fruit. Are abortion mill workers coming to Christ? Are abortionists quitting? Is the Gospel being preached without compromise? God is doing a great work here in our region. No evangelistic ministry is perfect, but I would rather spend a day with these people than anywhere else. These Christians are peaceful, loving and sweet. The abortion mill workers who observe them long enough come to a begrudging respect because the difference between the two spirits is like day and night.

Where there is Revival, there is no tranquility for child killers!

A Personal Invitation to Abby Johnson

The Internet and social media being what it is, at some point I hope this will be read by Abby Johnson.

Abby, the next time you are in Central Florida, I would like you to link up with some of the saints here who stand daily at the abortion centers in Orlando. Please come as an observer with an open mind and an open heart and stay for a few hours to observe.

I’d also like to suggest that many different parts of the Body of Christ work together to bring the lost into the kingdom of God. My friend, Dick Maxwell, who leads an evangelistic team at the abortion mills in Clearwater, Florida each week, puts it this way.

Prophetically, some warn sinners with threats of hell correcting those who are in opposition to God. Evangelists are those who offer hope through the Good News. If God grants repentance, then it is time for a pastor to lead them. Finally, a teacher will help them to expand their knowledge of the truth. Many of the people who respond to a kind-hearted evangelist will be unaware of the other secondary causes that God used to draw them to Christ. For any of us to say that we have the better way is foolish, divisive and rebellious toward God’s purpose in using the whole Body of Christ.

Sometimes we need wisdom from the Holy Spirit to discern which message a sinner needs to hear. Jude 1:22 explains the distinction.

And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

We can easily fall into the trap of thinking that only our ministry or our church understands the Gospel correctly. Several years ago, I was at a Christian Reconstructionist Society meeting in Florida. During a panel discussion, someone asked, “What should be the limits on how much the we will cooperate with other groups who don’t preach the Gospel or preach another Gospel? Should we cooperate with them in attempts toward social reform?”

I have always loved the answer that was given.

When we are Christians, to the extent to any degree we are faithful to the Gospel, we are bigger than ourselves. And that is why whether they are Arminian, Roman Catholic, or Calvinist, people who are truly serving the Lord are bigger than their own thinking, bigger than their own faith. We transcend ourselves. And that is the glory of the Gospel. It enables us to do more than we can do. It is the grace of God working through us. It is not that we teach different Gospels; we are trying to teach the same Gospel even though at times our emphasis will be a warped one, a limited one, a partial one. All the same, God can use it (Panel Discussion).

— To be continued