Pastor moved by unexpected gift of a seven-seater

 Prophet Shakeel Hemmings has grown accustomed to God doing the supernatural in his life, but he was dumbfounded when a woman handed him the keys to her fully insured, licensed and serviced 2015 Mazda Premacy seven-seater over a week ago, and told him God said she should give it to him.

Hemmings, a former gang leader, got baptized five years ago and has launched the Warrior Overcome Battles Prophetic Healing Deliverance Ministries. The 27-year-old prophet said he and his wife, a singing evangelist, often visit other churches to preach, but feeling that he needed “a Word”, they decided to visit another church. The Prophet said during the collection of offering, he gave $500 which was the only money he had at the time.

“I looked at the $500 and I spoke to the $500, and I said God, “within seven days, I need $500,000” and can I tell you, within seven days, that (the vehicle) was the gift that we received,” he said.

The prophet said he was praying for the $500,000 to purchase a vehicle to transport equipment as they prepare for a series of street meetings. Previously, the pastor, who does not have a physical church, had hosted a one month revival on Facebook in an effort he said to “populate heaven and plunder hell”. Persons sowed into the ministry and they were able to purchase the majority of the equipment, including drums, sound systems, a keyboard and several microphones. Some of the items were also donated.

“What God has instructed us to do is to go on the streets and to win souls for His Kingdom, bringing back the lost sheep into the body of Christ,” he said.

The prophet had purchased a car August 2021, to assist him in getting around for Ministry, but the vehicle crashed and was written off in October that year. The pastor’s wife was driving the vehicle at the time along Spanish Town Town Road, when another motorist, “bad drive” her. She swerved to avoid hitting the vehicle before her and ran into a light post, uprooting it. Those who witnessed the accident, thought the prophet had died, but he regained consciousness just in time to hear the police asking “where is the body” when they came on the scene.

Hemmings said his father then blessed him with a car which he and his wife now use in the pursuit of ministry. As he reflected on his most recent acquisition, the pastor could not hide his gratitude to God. He said he had not lifted an offering for the vehicle nor did he prophesy to the woman. He said he personally hates lifting offerings because he has seen how others have used this Act of Worship in the past to manipulate persons. The car is valued more than three times the amount he had asked God for when he prayed for $500,000.

The woman, who gifted him the 7-seater, does not have another vehicle, but she is believing God to bless her with something better. She has committed to continue paying for it to be insured and licensed.

“To see where God is taking me from and where God is bringing me now, it just shows that, if there is a man to pray, that means there is a God to answer,” said Hemmings.

Hemmings grew up in a garrison community in Kingston and joined a gang when he was a teenager. His initiation started when he decided to tackle a don in his community who had “disrespected” his family. He said after he physically tackled the don, the older man gun-butted him. As he watched the blood ran down his face, he started plotting his revenge. What transpired after, was a life of crime.

Five years ago, on April 12, 2017, Hemmings, who was out on bail for a murder he did not commit, admitted that he was preparing to launch an attack on a rival gang. He was passing a tent crusade on his way to his destination when he heard a lady singing. The voice captivated him.

“Even though I was in the world, and even though I was a part of a gang and doing wrongs, I was a God-fearing young man because I grew up in the church,” said Hemmings who had very supportive parents and a grandmother who always guided him along the right path. But the negative influences in the garrison were strong, and he strayed until the night he heard the voice coming from the tent.

“I had to stop and come out of the car and when I came out of the car, I stood there and listened to the woman of God worshipping God,” he recounted.

A tug of war ensued after, with the devil telling him to continue his journey, but Hemmings said the voice kept pulling him closer. He listened to the singing and then the sermon afterwards. When the pastor called for persons to come to the alter for prayer, he went forward, just to “get some prayer” But as the pastor was about to pray, he turned to him and declared, “Young man, you are troubling my spirit. Young man, you are bothering my spirit. There is something about you,” said Hemmings.

“I didn’t even know that there was a purpose on my life. I didn’t know that there was a calling on my life,” said the now prophet, who referred to himself as a “white man” then because he had “bleached” his body.

While he was on the altar, he felt God tugging him to surrender to Him, but Hemmings did not yield immediately. He was instructed to give his name to the same lady who he had heard singing earlier.

“When she asked me for my name, I gave her a name and when I gave her the name, she looked at me and she said, “that is not your correct name”. At that point, I was getting upset, because I was saying, how can you know that that is not my correct name, who are you? “

As a gang leader, Hemmings did not trust people easily and so he immediately wondered if she was a “set-up”.

“I just felt a peace and a calmness come on me, and I gave her my name and when I gave her my name, she said, thank you very much,” he recalled.

That day, Hemmings got baptized and he and the young lady who took his name and ministered to him in song, are now married. The couple celebrated their third year anniversary on August 3.

Since being baptized, Hemmings has witnessed many miracles. The first Tuesday following his conversion, men came to kill him during a fasting service. He rebuked the man who was specifically sent inside the church to carry out the act, as others waited outside in a car. After rebuking the would-be killer, Hemmings watched as he started acting “crazy”. The man later confessed everything. He told him he was given ganja seasoned in balm oil.

He now ministers to gang members, scammers, and gunmen.

“I can look at them and I can tell them say listen, when you make up your mind and you decide that you want to surrender your life to God, fully and totally, no demons in hell can never come against you.”

Since acquiring the vehicle, he and his team has embarked on a street meeting in Waterhouse.

Persons had declared that his Ministry wouldn’t last and that he had gone into the church “to look woman”, however, Hemmings said he is now ministering to those who had spoken negative things about him.

“Some people say I am not going to stay in the church for more than one week, but at the end of the day, God has used me to prove all my doubters wrong.”