Pastor E O Gabriel

 *ALLOW THEM.*                                        We've all complained about how irresponsible youth are, but we've missed the fact that we're the ones encouraging it by establishing a system that encourages it. We foster an environment in which irresponsibility can thrive. When we avert our focus away from their wrongdoing and do all they are supposed to do for them in the name of "I don't want my children to go through what I went through."   We soften every blow that comes their way; making mistakes is a no-no for them. Our housekeepers would have to do everything while they slept. At other times, they are just occupied with watching television, playing computer games, or surfing the internet. Yet our domestic workers are paid as they gain skills and competence right under our noses.   We attempt to shield children from every type of suffering, but we forget that life itself will cast shadows on them. We prevent them from honing their skills and using t

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                                                 *ELISHA SAT IN HIS HOUSE* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  30 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the King sent a Man from before him: but ere the Messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the Messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his Master's feet behind him? - *2 Kings 6:32* The Bible says woe to  them that are at ease in Zion - *Amos 6:1* The Syrians had besieged Samaria, great famine was in the Land, Pain, suffering and untimely death were Prevalent in the City.  In the Anchor Text above, the Prophet in the Land, Elisha sat in his house. The Man with the Mandate to bring out his City from untold hardship sat in his house while the cyity was burning. The Bible says by a Prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt 

 *NO TO REVENGE.*                                       I read a book when I was much younger in which the author described how one of her children hit the other in retaliation for what had previously been done to him.   When his mother told him that he should not repay evil with evil but rather trust Jesus to defend him, his reaction made me laugh out loud.   The young guy just assured his mother that he had not acted with vengeance; he had only given the brother a taste of what had been done to him so that Jesus could accomplish the rest for him. I had a nice laugh.   Revenge is the act of inflicting pain or harm on someone in retaliation for an injury or injustice done to them.   Siblings' interactions with one another can be quite amusing at times. He hit me first, so I hit him as well. He took my stuff, and I returned the favor.   As parents, we must not allow our children to cause harm to one another. When children are not appropriately trained to manage offenses, they end up

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                     *OVERCOMING THE MIDIANITES* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  29 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: Nay, in all these things we are More Than Conquerors through Him that loved us - *Romans 8:37* When the oppression of the Midianites upon the children of Israel was unbearable, they cried unto God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto Gideon to Prepare him for the Deliverance of Israel.  *The following are therefore essential towards Deliverance from the evil of the Midianites:* *(1)* Turning away from evey wicked way. It was the evil the children of Israel did in the sight of the Lord, that opened the door for the Midianites to come in - *Judges 6:1* *(2)* Call upon the Lord.  The Bible says call unto the Lord in the day of trouble - *Psalms 50:15* *When we don't Call unto God in the day of trouble, we are Passing a vote of No Confidence in Him.* *(3)* Come out of  hiding. Gideon was hiding, but God told him to go and lead an

 *IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.*                                       Life is a process-filled journey. Nobody wants to fail; everyone wants to triumph. But what we fail to recognize is that "failure is not the opposite of success; it is a component of success."   Failure is merely an experience, not an emblem or an identity. We frequently try to shorten the process by manipulating things. This results in disaster in the end.   What can you expect from a child whose father is willing to pay for someone else to write her jamb, despite the fact that her O'level result is something to write home about?   You expect her to change for the better while sabotaging the process that would have assisted her change.   Failing is yet another sort of instruction. It's incredibly informative; if you listen closely and follow its instructions, you'll be successful. One advantage is that if you fail, you learn what doesn't work; on the other hand, failure allows you to try a

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                      *UNDERSTANDING THE MIDIANITES AT WORK* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  28 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: they encamped against them, and destroyed the Increase of the Earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no s/Sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor Ox, nor Ass - *Judges 6:4* All the Nations that attacked the Nation of Israel during the Bible times had different modes of Operation.  *We want to take a look at the Method adopted by the Midianites to deal with the children of Israel.* In our Anchor Text above, the Midianites were after the increase of the Earth, which the Lord gave to the children of Israel to destroy them and left no Sustenance for them. *Today, we see the Spirit of the Midianites at work in the lives of the children of God manifesting in the following ways:* *(1)* Scattering what the Lord had gathered for us - *1 Corinthians 3:6* *(2)* Full of activities but lack Productivity.  Peter said we have toiled

 *WHO ARE YOUR CHILDREN HANGING OUT WITH?*                              I returned home a little late recently as I navigated my way through the hood to my residence. I noticed a group of young boys in a corner.   I was truly wondering what was going on when my nose was drawn to something.  I shook my head at the realization that they were doing drugs. It's heartbreaking. very sad. A handful of them reside in that neighborhood, but others do not; it's more like a meeting spot for them. I'm just curious how they got to this position.   Did their parents know where they were, who they were hanging out with, and what they were doing? These young folks did not begin yesterday. It happens gradually.   Then I wonder why a child would be out at that time of the day, doing what exactly? It's astonishing how parents don't care about their children's friends.   We are social beings, and we will undoubtedly interact with others. That is how God created us. The teenage year

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL  *UNDERSTANDING NO MORE FAILURE*                                          *By Pastor E O Gabriel  27 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: Moses said unto the People, Fear ye not, Stand Still, and see the Salvation of the Lord, which He will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever - *Exodus 14:13* A Life of 'No More Failure', is Packed with many things.  *To experience No More Failure' means:* *(1)* An end has come to Failure. The Bible says surely there is an end. Whatever has a beginning must surely have an end.  *One may have failed several times, but if he or she does not give up, fyailure will end one day.* Weeping may endure for a Night but, Joy comes in the morning - *Psalms 30:5* *(2)* In the same Place where you have failed, you will Succeed.  At the Lake Gannesaret, Peter failed, at the same Lake he succeeded.  The same people who witnessed his Failure also celebrated his Suc

 *SYNERGIZE.*                                 To synergize is to interact or collaborate with one or more other agents to produce a joint effect greater than the sum of individual effects.   Simply put, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergizing is the practice of collaborating creatively. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the thrill of discovering fresh answers to old problems.   But it does not happen by itself. It's a process in which people bring all of their personal experience and skills to the table. People frequently linger on a subject not because they are not making an attempt but because their personal input alone may not be sufficient.   At times, it's all because they want to take sole credit for the task. To them, it's all about me, not us. As a result, individuals are stuck and deny help that is right at their fingertips.   Others refused to synergize, mostly because they wanted to keep all of the benefits for themselves.  The iss

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                    *NO MORE FAILURE* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  26 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the Night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy Word I will let down the net - *Luke 5:5* Failure is the lack of Success. It is the inability to achieve a Set Goal or Vision.  In the Text above, Peter set out to fish but caught Nothing. Peter is said to have failed. *Many fail in life because they don't know what to do to succeed.*  Peter was taught by the Lord and he succeeded.  Jesus said to him: Launch out into the deep for a draught - *Luke 5:4* He did exactly that and succeeded. He caught a great multitude of fishes.  Jesus is the teacher sent from God - *John 3:2* He can teach a man to succeed in life. Joshua was taught what to do to succeed - *Joshua 1:8* *Many know what to do to succeed but lack the Ability, and the Power to do it.* The impotent man that had infirmity f

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                        *JACOB'S ROUGH ROAD TO BETHEL* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  25 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: if any Man be in Christ, he is a New Creature: Old things are Passed away; behold, all things are become New - *2 Corinthians 5:17* *Following exposition on Life at Bethel, we need to explicitly highlight Jacob's rough road to Bethel.* *The unpleasant journey is as follows:* *(1)* He could see danger looming, he saw trouble and death ahead. His brother had threatened to kill him for the blessing, he stole from his father - *Genesis 27:41* Samuel told Eli of the danger ahead, but the latter was complacent.  He said It is God: Let Him do whatever seems Good - *1 Samuel 3:18* *Eli's complacency could not lead him to Bethel.* *When a man is not confronted with the consequences of his sin, he can't get to Bethel.*  Jacob could see death ahead because of his deceit. The Bible says woe unto them that are at ease in Zion

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                       *NEW HOPE* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  24 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: in this Life only we have Hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable - *1 Corinthians 15:19* *Hope is vital for Quality Living. A Life without Hope, would be very miserable.* *Hope is Assurance, Expectation and desire that a Particular thing will happen.* *Acts 3:5 says:* The Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate gave heed unto Paul and John, expecting to receive something of them.  *Expectation is the Mother of Manifestation.* His Expectation gave rise to his Healing.  Job said all the days of my Appointed Time, will I wait till my Change - *Job 14:14* Job was expecting a Change. *It is necessary to state that everyone who is Hopeful can be Classified into two:* *(1)* The Wicked - *Acts 12:1-4, Proverbs 10:28* *(2)* The Righteous - *Proverbs 24:14* *Usefulness of Hope:* *(1)* It gives Strength to forge ahead during Challenging Times - *Job 6:11, Psa

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                      *LIFE AT BETHEL* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  23 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: he called the name of that Place Beth–el: but the name of that City was called Luz at the first - *Genesis 28:19* Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, who sought to kill him, and his first night outside his father's house was at Bethel.  At Sunset, he gathered stones to make himself a Pillow. He slept, dreamt and saw a ladder connecting him with Heaven. At the top of the ladder was God who introduced Himself to him. God made many Promises to him and he was full of hope and even made a Vow to God.  *The salient points at Bethel are as follows:* *(1)* God is at Bethel. Jacob woke up and said God is in this Place and I know not. *(2)* Angelic Ministrations - *Genesis 28:12* Angels are Ministering Spirits, and ascend and descend at Bethel.  *Heaven responds to the Earth at Bethel.* *(3)* There is hope at Bethel. Bethel is a Place of hope.  Jac

 *IS THAT YOUR MOM?*                                 Previously, a mother shared that once on her way home from work, she ran into her daughter and some of her friends. Her daughter greeted her with a handshake and asked, "How was your day?" I merely shook my head and played along, saying that everything was good.  I excused myself after exchanging pleasantries with her pals to get some things sorted.  She inquired as to whether she should wait for me. I advised her to join her pals. When she got home, the girl told her mother about the drama that ensued after they parted ways.  "Is that your mother?" was the first question. They couldn't believe she had shaken hands with her mother in a lighthearted manner in their presence in a public place. The girl found their reaction humorous, so they began discussing what would have happened if they had done so. They won't even attempt it. They told her how fortunate she was to have a mother who could play with her an

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                      *WALKING WITH GOD* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  22 June 2023* And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters - *Genesis 5:22* The first time the word 'walk,' appears in the Scriptures, is when Adam and Eve heard the Voice of the Lord God in the Garden in the cool of the day - *Genesis 3:8* God was looking for a "Walking Partner" - Adam and Eve, but they hid themselves from the Presence of the Lord. The Second time the word appears is in our Anchor Text above.  The Bible says Enoch walked with God. Therefore, Enoch was the first man to walk with God. *What does it mean to walk with God?* *(1)* To be with God, to be in God's Presence, to keep the Company of God - *Genesis 3:8, 1 Kings 17:1, Mark. 3:13-14* *(2)* Harmonise one's thoughts and ways with His - *Isaiah 55:8-9, Amos 3:3, Psalms 18:30, Malachi 3:6, Acts 3:19* *(3)* To go in the

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                         *MULTIPLYING THE MERCY OF GOD* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  21 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: unto you, and Peace, and Love, be Multiplied - *Jude 1:2* The Mercy of God is important to Man, just as air is important to him, because it is of the Lord's Mercies that we are not consumed.  It is so important that God  renews His Mercy in our lives every Morning - *Lamentation 3:22-23* *Greatness in any facet of Life is tied to His Mercy.* David said His Gentleness has made me Great - *Psalms 18:35* God is Sovereign, He will have Mercy on whom He will have Mercy - *Romans 9:15* *Every Living Soul is a beneficiary of His Mercy.* According to our Anchor Text above, His Mercy can be Multiplied. *How can we Multiply His Mercy?* *(1)* By being Praiseful. David said I will bless God at all times, His Praise shall continually be in my mouth - *Psalms 34:1* God said concerning David, my Mercy will I keep for him for evermore - *P

 *IN TIME LIKE THIS*                                            A lot is going on right now in our world. The system of the world is chunking out a lot of funny things. Information that is disheartening. Information that makes you wonder and question how sound your own judgment is.   In this time when the line between morality and immorality has become blurry, when standing for the truth and what is right is foolishness before the world. In this time when evil triumphs over good. When men with moral principles are mocked and the immoral celebrated to the highest heaven.   At this time, when standing for what is right means losing your coat of many colors.   When lawlessness abounds and the love of many is waxing cold. Doing what they have to do to get what they want makes them stand out.   The good news is this. *Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more* . Yes, grace is available don't be discouraged.   This is my charge to you this morning: *Having done all things, STAND* *Keep

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                          *GOD'S FAVOUR IS FOR A PURPOSE* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  20 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him Mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the Prison - *Genesis 39:21* *Joseph was a well favoured man. Anywhere he went, God gave him favour in the sight of men.*  I. He was favoured by his father Jacob, who made for him a coat of many colours. II. He was favoured in the house of Potiphar his Master. His master made him an overseer over his house and put everything he had in his care. III  In our Anchor Text above, we see that even in Prison, he found favour in the sight of the keeper of the Prison. *Joseph enjoyed the favour of God and man, because God was Preparing him to save the Nation of Israel from the Peril of the great famine that was to hit the world for seven Years.*  He himself said to his brothers: Be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me

 *RESPOND TO GRADUAL CHANGE.*                                      As we all know, change is a constant in all spheres. It is progressive and not abrupt, yet people are occasionally taken off guard because they do not respond to it as it occurs.   As a result, they became entangled in the web. A frog is an animal that can react quickly to obvious changes but struggles to adjust to gradual ones.   If you put a frog in boiling water, it will jump out rapidly since the water is at its boiling point. It can't handle it.   However, if you place a frog in a pot of water and gradually heat it up, the frog will acclimate to the growing water temperature until the water reaches boiling point and he is unable to escape.   We must be sensitive to change as a people. The problem with many of us is that we are not flexible. It must always be like it was in the beginning, and it will always be that way.   Even God modifies his plans. Imagine Elijah standing alongside the Brook of Cherinth, procl

 *ABRAHAM THE FRIEND OF GOD*                                   Friendship connote relationship. Before you can call someone your friend, it means there has been an existing relationship between you two over time.  Abraham, the father of faith, was called the friend of God. That means he has a relationship with God. Their relationship was such that God couldn't imagine hiding what was going on around him from him. God felt he should know, especially because he (Abraham) would command his children and his household to keep the way of the Lord. Abraham's personal relationship with God was reflected in his household. It shows how he raises his son. He was a model for Isaac and the generation to come. Dear Fathers, what can God say about your walk with him? Can the next generation look back and draw strength from your walk with God? Think about it. *N.B* Our students outreach against drug abuse and cultism in secondary schools starts soon. Would you like to give towards it? I am pas

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                       *WHEN MERCY PREVAILS OVER JUDGEMENT* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  19 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more - *John 8:11* The Story of the woman caught in the very act of Adultery, shows to us that there are blessings when Mercy Prevails over Judgement.  Moses commanded in the Law that such a woman should be stoned. When she was brought before our Lord Jesus Christ, Mercy Prevailed over Judgement. She was allowed to go free. Jesus said to her in our Anchor Text above, go and sin no more. *There are several implications such as:* *(1)* She was freed from the consequences of her wrong decision and error. Consequences of wrong decision and error could be fatal as seen in the case of Ahitophel and Uzzah, who Paid with their own lives for their wrong decision and error respectively - *2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 6:7* In the case of the adulterous

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                        *SLOW TO SPEAK* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  18 June 2023* Wherefore, my Beloved Brethren, let every Man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: - *James 1:19* A Woman was caught in the act Adultery, and was brought to Jesus by the Pharisee and the Scribes.  They said to Him, the Law says she should be stoned and they asked what it was He would say?  The Bible says, this was a Temptation for they were looking for an occasion to accuse Him - *John 8:1-6*   Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger as though He did not hear them. They continued asking and He lifted up His head and said whoever among you who is without sin, should first  cast a  stone at her. He stooped down again and was wrote on the ground. One after the other the Accusers of the Woman left, being convicted by their conscience. The Devil has no New Strategies. He wanted to hear what Jesus would say that he might accuse Hi

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                           *GO TO WAR WITH YOUR PERSONAL PROPHECIES* *By Pastor E O Gabriel 17 June 2023* SCRIPTURE: Charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the Prophecies Previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare - *1 Timothy 1:18* The Bible is a book of Prophecies, therein we have Prophecies spoken by God concerning our lives, families, marriages, businesses etc. In our Anchor Text above, Apostle Paul counseled Timothy his Spiritual son, to go to war with the Personal Prophecies concerning his life.  This is highly instructictive today as we engage in Spiritual battles against sicknesses, barrenness, divorce, disobedient children, unproductive businesses, fear, discouragement etc. *What do we need to do?* *(1)* Be Born Again. Because God has no Good Prophecies for sinners - *1 Samuel 3:11* God is angry with sinners every day - *Psalms 7:11* *(2)* Locate the Prophecies concerning you in

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                  *KINGDOM INVESTMENT: THE GATEWAY TO HIS MERCY* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  16 June 2023* SCRIPTURE:Thou Shalt arise, and have Mercy upon Zion: For the time to favour her, yea, the Set Time, is come. For thy Servants take Pleasure in her stones, And favour the dust thereof - *Psalms 102:13‭-‬14* *It is of the Lord's Mercies we are not consumed. We are not destroyed by the Negative occurrences of Life through the Mercies of God.* His Mercies sustains us, where others are Pulled down by the consequences of their ignorance and wrong doings.  This explains why David survived his adulterous Action and murder, but Saul could not withstand the consequences of his disobedience. The Bible says, for he saith unto Moses, I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion - *Romans 9:15* Through His Mercy, David's transgression was visited with rod, his iniquity with stri

 *DOES DAD PRAY*?                                         A friend of mine told me that if she has not been consistent with her devotion, her children will criticize her. They'll call her and ask why she hasn't been praying as much as she usually does. In fact, one practically called her out while she was doing her chores once to ask what happened.  Before she could react, the other remarked, "I think I overheard her praying two days ago, although she prayed quite a while ago." She didn't find it funny that the children she assumed were sleeping while she prayed could tell if she prayed or not, so out of curiosity or perhaps to save face, she inquired why they didn't ask their father the same question. She got the shock of her life when the younger child inquired if Dad ever prayed. Dear Father, you are the head of our household, and we all look to you as our role model for providing guidance and direction for us. This includes spiritual leadership as our home

 FATHERHOOD AND SONSHIP IN MINISTRY (1) I feel it's time to make Scriptural comments about Fatherhood and Sonship in the ministry. Over the years I have started mentoring clubs and meetings due to heavy demand on me by pastors and church leaders. I have spend my money, time resources and opportunities in raising other ministers in and for the work of the LORD, yet, only few I can honestly point to that are genuine and doing the work sincerely and in godly ways. One of the major dysfunction of the church today has to do with the issue of fatherhood. The calamities and corruptions of the church today can be traced back to poor fathering. Too many so called ‘fathers’have not been good fathers, while some have abused their fatherly positions. Consequently, many ministers are without father figures in their lives and the ministry has been the worse for it. Furthermore, many teachings on mentoring and fatherhood has been grossly one sided and the results have been unpalatable on all side