Colombian church claims pastor was saved from knife-wielding attacker by 'power of God'
A Pentecostal church in Colombia is claiming that a knife-wielding attacker was stopped in his tracks by the power of God as he was about to murder the pastor.
A video taken from security cameras at the Pentecostal church in Bosa, a district of the capital, Bogotá, shows the man sitting down in one of the plastic chairs at the front of the church before leaping up and running at the pastor, Pedro Pablo Martin, brandishing a knife.
However, he stops in his tracks when the pastor repeats "There is power in the name of Jesus". The man falls to the floor and begins twitching. Members of the congregation rush forward and stand over him, repeating the same phrase.
The church uploaded the footage with the caption: "Hooded man attacks a minister but he is overcome by the power of the Holy One's name."
Officials claimed the assailant had told the minister before the sermon he was there to kill him but was told to sit down and listen to the service.
The church said in a statement: "We thank God for his faithfulness and mercy, we know that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts him.
"We have a God of power and his name is Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus is power."
While some commentators suggested that the incident had been staged, the pastor insisted in a radio interview the video was genuine.
He claimed: "It's 100 per cent authentic. What happened was a display of the power of God protecting us from evil.
"He told me, 'I'm here to kill you' before he attempted to attack me and I told him to calm down, sit down and listen to the rest of my sermon because I didn't really take him seriously.
"I only realised how serious it was when I saw him come at me with the knife."
He said the church had let the would-be attacker go after officials said they didn't want to press charges.
Pastor Martin said: "I'm confident he won't try this again. I thought about making a formal complaint but I've decided to leave his fate in the hands of God."
