Pastor, Congregation Thwart Gunmen in Service With Prayer
As a former police officer, Marquaello Futrell combined the instincts he learned from 10 years on the St. Louis police force with his pastoral instincts when a man suspiciously carrying two bags entered his church during service on a recent Sunday morning.
The man began immediately questioning the church’s children services director. Then, Futrell, the senior pastor at All Creation Northview Holiness Family Church in Ferguson, Missouri, knew quickly what he had to do when he saw four more men come into his sanctuary.
“I immediately just had the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I’m like, ‘OK, something is about to happen,'” Futrell told ksdk.com. “Me being a former police officer, I immediately noticed their waistbands. I’m like, there’s something there.”
Another member of the church later saw one of the men drop his gun. But instead of scaring his congregation, Futrell continued with the service, not letting on that police were on their way to the church.
Futrell directed his media team filming the service to zoom in on the perpetrators because “we needed some face recognition.”
Futrell then called the gunmen out. “Who sent y’all here? You saw the church and decided to come? Talk to me,” Futurell said in the video.
“The Bible speaks of watch and pray, so while we’re being spiritual, I’m also watching around, trying to protect the congregants,” Futrell explained. “I’ve still got a cop anointing, and I still know what’s going on and what’s about to happen. God’s about to change the enemy. Lift your voice and shout unto God!”
What happened next, Futrell said, was “an act of God.” He asked the young men if he could pray for them, and they agreed. Other members of the church placed their hands on the men to pray for them.
He told the men that they had “walked on Holy Ghost turf” when they entered the church.
“Thank y’all for letting us pray for you. And we’re thankful that, for whatever reason, the Lord let y’all come here. You stepped foot on All Creation parking lot. You encountered the move of the Holy Ghost and I just believe that you all will never be the same again.”
The men were arrested when police arrived.
On the video, Futrell said he heard the Lord speak to him: “This is what happens when you illegally trespass,” Futrell said. “That when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard. The flood will never be greater than the standard.” {eoa}
Bring Charisma magazine home with a subscription today!
Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
