Pastor E O Gabriel

  *GROW OR GROAN*.                                             Growing means undergoing natural development by increasing in size and changing physically, thus progressing to maturity over a period of time.     Every living creature created by God is born with the power to grow. It's a natural phenomenon. The truth is that you're either growing or dying. The in-between is to groan.   Many people have difficulties as a result of a lack of growth. Their challenge is directly related to their rate of growth. Growth does not just happen to people; there are specific things you do and feed on that help you grow. Even if you don't do them, you will still grow; the question is how healthy your growth will be.     Many people do not understand the need for growth because they wish to stay in their comfort zone. It's too much of a strain for them.     Capacity development is an important aspect of growth. You were the only one in the community when you launched your

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                             *UNCOMFORTABLE ZONE OPENS THE DOOR OF YOUR PROMOTION* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  31 July 2023* SCRIPTURE; Then the King Promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the Province of Babylon - *Daniel 3:30* Joseph was the first son of Rachel. The woman so loved by Jacob that he laboured for fourteen years to marry her. Rachel died while giving birth to her Second child Benjamin.  Jacob's love for Rachel was transferred to Joseph.  Joseph was so loved by his father, that he made for him a coat of many colours. He was so loved, that whenever his brothers went out to the field to keep the flock of their father, he would remain indoors.  Undoubtedly, his father's house was his Comfort Zone.  And because Joseph was loved by his father, his brothers hated him. His brothers' hatred for him, made them to throw him away from his Comfort Zone and sold him out to Egypt as a Slave; that was the beginning of

 *IT BEGINS OFFLINE.*                                   A number of individuals have asked me how they parent their children online. What are they supposed to do, and what are they not supposed to do? Someone else even stated that she feels overbearing toward her children.   Parenting begins offline in the home. It begins with you clearly communicating your values in a language your children will understand in a welcoming setting, Even before they have access to the Internet. Your principles must be clearly articulated. Inform them as to what is acceptable.   Don't wait for something to happen before taking action; instead, be proactive. The idea here is to train children to recognize what is appropriate and what is not. They should also be aware of what to do if they come across any unwholesome content on any of the media sites. The media is very subtle; it wraps a lot of garbage in a lovely wrapper. You won't notice it unless you have akeen eye.   The rule is the same for gro

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                           *KEEP KNOCKING* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  30 July 2023*  SCRIPTURE: But Peter continued knocking: And when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished - *Acts 12:16* Herod stretched his hand against the Church. He arrested James the brother of John and killed him. When he saw that the Jews were Pleased, he went ahead and arrested Peter and put him in Prison. He intended to bring him out after Easter and kill him. But the Church Prayed without ceasing unto God for him - *Acts 12:5* The Bible says, the Night before Peter would have been brought forth, he was sleeping between two Soldiers bound with Chains  and the Angel visited him and Light broke forth in Prison. The Angel smote him on the side and raised him up. His Chains fell off and he followed the Angel. When they came out of the Prison, the Angel left him. Peter, then came to the understanding that God has sent his Angel for his Delive

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                       *SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  29 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a Sound of Abundance of Rain - *1 Kings 18:41* Israel had gone into Idolatry, forsaken the Living God and gone after Baal. Elijah declared there shall be no Rain nor Dew according to His Word - *1 King 17:1* There was drought in Israel for three Years and six Months.  During this Period, there was famine and brooks dried up. At the end of three Years and six Months, God asked Elijah to show himself up to Ahab, the king of Israel. He did and challenged the Prophets of Baal to a contest. The contest was for the Prophets of Baal to Prepare an Altar and call on their God. He also will Prepare an Altar and call on his God. The One that answered by Fire is the "True God". The Prophets of Baal Set Up an Altar and called on their god but there was no answer. Elij

  *ON THE STREET OF SOCIAL MEDIA.*                                        Last year, I wrote about "your child on the street of social media". That write-up was prompted by my experience on the Blue App, especially.   I was so ruffled that I decided not to write every day again. When I approached two of my upliners, they both chuckled and told me to face my front. That was not a particularly amusing experience for me. You know, I don't like what I hate.   But then it occurred to me the next time I was about to write, How do children and young adults cope on this street? On this street, you will meet men and women from all walks of life with a wide range of values, ideas, inclinations, and orientations.   Amazingly, parents leave their children to traverse this roadway alone, with no instruction or assistance.   The entire planet is now on the internet. We no longer have physical contact like we used to. Everything has been digitalized.   Virtual interaction in

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                         *WHEN THE TIME FOR PERFORMANCE COMES* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  28 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And all the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to His Will in the Army of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth: and none can stay His Hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? - *Daniel 4:35* *We have Studied that whenever the Lord speaks, at least four Groups will arise:* *(1)* Those who will hear, then forsake and flee because they believe the Present realities than the Performance of His Words.  *Those who believe that seeing is believing - The Disciples fall into this Group.* *(2)* Those who will hear then work against the Performance of His Words.  *The Priests and the Pharisees are in this Group - *Matthew 27:62-66* *(3)* Those who will hear, but are between two (2) Opinions.  *The women who came with embalming spices on the Resurrection Morning are in this Group* - *Luk

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                             *WHEN THE EARTH QUAKES* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  27 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And at Midnight Paul and Silas Prayed, and sang Praises unto God: and the Prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a Great Earthquake, so that the Foundations of the Prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed - *Acts 16:25‭-‬26* Our God is Omnipotent, in His Power He can shake the Heavens and the Earth - *Haggai 2:6* When He shakes the Earth, it quakes.  In our Anchor Text above, Paul and Silas were imprisoned for setting free a girl Possessed with the devil. At midnight, they Prayed and sang Praises to God. There was an Earthquake that shook the Foundations of the Prison and the Prison doors opened. Paul and Silas were released.  *Therefore, any time the Earth quakes, there is an opening and a release.* *There are quite a number of instances in the Scriptures:* *(1)* W

  *THE POWER OF THE MEDIA*                                             The media has been with us for a long time. It is one of our culture-shaping instruments. It is used to teach and orient people's minds. It is a piece of programming software.   The media is extremely powerful since it is used to influence people's minds. Whatever enters your mind will manifest in your life. The advertisement, the news, the cartoon, the movie, and the information are all deliberate.   People's subconscious minds are influenced by what they hear and see. Especially if they view it on a regular basis. People are scripted by what they consistently hear and see. This is what drives their actions. When something is seen or heard frequently, it gets ingrained in a person's mind. It becomes a part of them. It becomes the basis for how we react to particular situations.     Parents frequently complain about their children's behaviour, claiming that they have no idea where they le

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                           *THERE SHALL BE A PERFORMANCE* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  26 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a Performance of those things which were told her from the Lord - *Luke 1:45* God is not a Man that He should lie. Whenever He speaks, it is done - *Psalms 33:8-9* *It should be noted that between the time He speaks and the Performance of what He says, there will be at least four Groups of People.* These were apparent when Jesus was crucified and buried.  The Priests and the Pharisees came to Pilate to say we remember that Jesus, while he was alive, said after three days He will rise again - *Matthew 27:62-63* They sought for Permission to send Soldiers to watch Jesus' Sepulchre so that His Disciples will not steal His Body.  Also, observe that the day He Promise to rise again, certain women came with Embalming Spices. *These four groups are:* *(1)* The First Group are

  FACE IT AND  CARRY THEM ALONG                                         With tremendous elation, the children of Israel departed Egypt; at long last, we are free. We can now rest without fear of being harassed, and we can accomplish things at our own pace without fear of being oppressed. This, among other things, must have been on their minds.   But, to their surprise, they've found themselves trapped between the devil and the blue sea. Oh, no! It was a red sea for them.    No!!! This is not happening. Isn't it true that God promised us a land flowing with milk and honey? He guided us down this route. Can you imagine what was going through their minds at that time?   They cried out to God at first, then began to fear and torment Moses, their leader. What are all of these things? We would have fared much better in Egypt. This describes many of us. I've done my part. When I first started this business, it appeared promising. I was certain I was doing the right thing.

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                           *GO AND WASH IN JORDAN SEVEN TIMES* By Pastor E O Gabriel  25 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And Elisha sent a Messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be Clean - *2 Kings 5:10* The Captain of the Syrian Army named Naaman was a leper. He was introduced to Elisha the Prophet, for the cleansing of his leprosy. He came to Elisha, and he sent his Servant to Namaan to go and wash in Jordan seven times. We can recall that our Lord Jesus Christ put forth his hand to touch a leper and he was cleansed - *Matthew 8:1-3* God touched a leper once and he was Cleansed. But for Naaman, He asked him to wash in Jordan seven times to be Cleansed.  *The Lord is teaching us that it is not in all cases that our first attempt will be successful, we may need to make several attempts before we succeed.* *Therefore, failing at something should not make us give u

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                          *RETIRE TO STEP UP* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  24 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: He that laboureth laboureth for himself; For his mouth craveth it of him - *Proverbs 16:26* Elisha was a Mechanised Farmer, he flourished in farming - *1 Kings 19:19* While engaging in  Mechanised Farming, he was also a Prophet of God. He was one of the seven thousand Prophets who never bowed their knees to Baal - *1 Kings 19:18* When it was time for God to take Elijah up to Heaven by a whirlwind, so as not to create a vacuum, God compulsorily retired Elisha from Mechanised Farming to step into Elijah's shoes - *1 Kings 19:16* Elijah was retired not only to step into Elisha's shoes, but also to step up his Kingdom business of Prophesying.  This explains why his only heart desire in Ministry was Double Portion of the Spirit on Elijah - *2 Kings 2:9* *What were the steps Elisha took to step up his Kingdom business after retirement?

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                          *DANGERS OF BUILDING ON SAND* *By Pastor E O  23 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it - *Matthew 7:27* *According to our Lord Jesus Christ, every house built on sand by a foolish man, will not withstand the effect of rain, floods and winds.* *What does it means to build upon the sand?* *(1)* It is building without Jesus as the Foundation. *When a relationship is built on the love of money, such relationship is built on sand.* *(2)* When the house is built contrary to the Word. *(3)* When the house is built on Falsehood, lies and deceit.  Gehazi built his Ministry on falsehood, he built it on  sand - *2 Kings 5:25-27* *What are the dangers inherent in building on sand?* *(1)* A great fall. Whatever that is built on sand, will experience a great fall. *The Ministry that Judas Iscariot built

  *EMPATHY NOT SENTIMENT.*                                        To parent properly, a great deal of empathy is required. While sentimental feelings of compassion, sadness, or nostalgia are overblown and self-indulgent, they are also a view, opinion, or notion based on how one feels about a situation or how one thinks about something.   Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone's shoes in order to understand how they feel. Understanding their emotions does not imply condoning what is wrong.   Your parenting decisions should be founded on your values, principles, convictions, and facts, not on your emotions.   Feelings are not stable; rather, they ride on a roller coaster. When you're high, you let it go; when you're low, you tighten up.   Just know that your teenagers will treat you like a prawn on their chess board.Empathy does not endorse; rather, it demonstrates consideration.   So, the next time you make a decision about your adolescent, let wisdom

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                         *HE KNOWS YOU BETTER* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  22 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations - *Jeremiah 1:5* God told Jeremiah in the above Scriptures that before he was formed in the belly of his mother, He knew him.  This means before Jeremiah knew himself, God knew him.  In addition, before he was known by Men, God knew him.  Therefore, nobody knew him better that than God.  *This is applicable to all Men - Nobody knows you better than God.* *There are several implications of the above:* *(1)* Nobody is Wise enough to contradict whatever He says about you.  The Bible says, let God be true but every man a liar - *Romans 3:4* *(2)* It is highly Profitable to believe Him rather than Men. Joshua and Caleb wholly believed the Lord and entered the Promised Land. But, the res

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                     *HANNAH'S APPROACH* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  21 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: Wherefore it came to Pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD - *1 Samuel 1:20* Every Story in the Scriptures happened for our example and is written for our admonition - *1 Corinthians 10:11* *Careful Study of some Persons in the Bible will enlighten us on what to do to commit God to answer our Prayers.* 1. One of such Persons is Hannah.  There are certain Uncommon Things she did that committed God to give her an Uncommon Answer. *Let us take a look at her approach:* *(1)* She rose up - *1 Samuel 1:9* *In the midst of her challenges, she rose up.*  This means she got up, she advanced. She refused to allow her challenges to keep her down, she advanced in spite of her challenges. *This is important because nothing works unless we work it.* T

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                         *VACANCY FOR THE PRUDENT* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  20 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a Man discreet and Wise, and set him over the land of Egypt - *Genesis 41:33* *We live in a world full of unemployment, but there will always be Vacancy for the Prudent.* In our Text above, Joseph had just interpreted Pharaoh's dream, where God revealed to him seven Years of Plenty and seven Years of Famine.  Joseph told Pharaoh to look for a Man who is Prudent, and able to manage the Abundance, so that the adverse effect of the seven Years of Famine will not be felt. *Our world is in dire need of the Prudent, those who will maximise the use of our God given Resources, for the benefit of all and in all Seasons.* *The Prudent is always conscious of the fact that no condition is Permanent and no opportunity will remain open for ever.* *The Bible says, the Wise in heart shall be called Prudent* -

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                       *BEYOND THE WISDOM OF JACOB* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  19 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days - *Genesis 49:1* Wisdom is the Principal Thing. It is better than rubies; and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it - *Proverbs 8:11* There is no doubt that Jacob was a Man of immense Wisdom.  In our Anchor Text above, he gathered his children together and was telling them what was to become of each of them in future. He spoke to Reuben  his firstborn that he wouldn't excel in life.  This may sound quite harsh and unfatherly but through his walk with God in life, he knew that woe betides the wicked and it shall be ill with the wicked - *Isaiah 3:11* Jacob was not a Prophet, but he Predicted his future by applying the Knowledge he had acquired.  He said Reuben was unstable, he defiled his f

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                       *DON'T LET THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU LIMIT YOU* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  18 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us Pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the Multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships - *Mark 4:35‭-‬36* When it was time for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Disciples to Pass over to the other side, despite His love for the Multitude, He sent them away.  *He sent them away for several reasons. One of which is to avoid being limited by Multitude.* *It is quite Possible to be limited by the People around you.*  David had to  breakthrough the limitation of People around him. His eldest brother Eliab was angry that David volunteered to confront Goliath - *1 Samuel 17:28-30* Saul told David that he was too Young to face a Champion like Goliath - *1 Samuel 17:33* *No Man'

  *TAKE BACK YOUR POWER.*                                     Life is full of surprises. Sometimes we find ourselves in a strange situation as a result of our own mistakes, ignorance, circumstances, or even the mistakes of others, and we don't know how to deal with it. Thus, life takes a toll on us.Life happens.   It happens to everyone at some point. If not in this manner, it will be the other way around. What happened was an event, not your interpretation. That is not the definition of who you are. What happened to you is not as significant as what happened within you. This will determine how you handle it.   What happened in you is what you tell yourself about the event. In counseling, this is referred to as self-talk.   What you say to yourself will either disable or empower you. Your self-talk is based on your assessment of yourself—how you perceive or appraise yourself. This is what defines you.   You have made yourself a victim the instant you begin to blame yoursel

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                       *BUILDING UPON A ROCK* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  17 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a Wise Man, which built his house upon a rock: - *Matthew 7:24* As the New week begins, we must endeavour to build upon the Rock.  Jesus told us that a Man can either build upon a Rock or on sand - *Matthew 7:24-27* The Wise build upon a Rock while the foolish build on sand.  The house upon a Rock will withstand the rain, the floods, and the winds. But, the house on the sand will not. Rain is a Blessing from God.  God said I will give you rain in due Season - *Leviticus 26 :4* *Rain is considered to be an Indicator of Good Fortune. Rain connotes when the blessing of God is flowing.* Only those who have made Christ their Foundation, will not be swept away by the Blessings they enjoy. When David was running away from Saul who sought to kill him, he couldn't see a

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                        *SANCTIFY YOURSELF* *By  Pastor E O Gabriel  16 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And Joshua said unto the People, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you - *Joshua 3:5* *When the children of Israel were Preparing to enter the Promised Land, Joshua told  them to sanctify themselves, ahead of the wonder of Crossing Over.* *1. Sanctification is a separation from all evils and separation unto God.* *2. Sanctification Presents our Spirit, Soul and Body blameless which is the Will of God concerning us* - *1 Thessalonians 5:23, 1 Thessalonians 4:13* *3. Sanctifying ourselves is a Mark of Gratitude to God who has helped us thus far - It is not by Might, nor by Power but by the Spirit of God* - *Zechariah  4:6* *We are not where we are by our Cleverness but by His Mercies.* It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy - *Romans 9:16* *4. In addition, Sanctific

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL  *STORMS IN AND OUT OF THE BOAT*                                           *By Pastor E O Gabriel  15 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: God is our refuge and Strength, a very Present Help in trouble - *Psalms 46:1* When Jesus was in the boat with the Disciples, there was a Great Storm, it was so serious that they thought they were going to Perish - *Mark. 4:35-41* Peter got out of the boat and was walking on water. He shifted his gaze to the boisterious wind and he began to sink - *Matthew 14:29-31* *It is clear that in and outside the boat, there is a storm. This has a number of implications:* *(1)* Storms are real in Life. They are not strange - *1 Peter 4:12* *(2)* Whatever you do, wherever you are, you will experience the Storm - *Isaiah 43:2* *(3)* Storms should not be an excuse for not breaking New Grounds.  In spite of Storms, we can break New Grounds and attain a New Heights.  The wind was boisterous throughout the Period Peter walked on water - *Ma

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                       *GET OUT OF THE BOAT* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  14 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus - *Matthew 14:29* The Disciples were in a boat and saw Jesus walking on water, they thought it was a Ghost and were afraid.  Jesus spoke to them, saying be of Good Cheer; it is I, be not afraid.  Peter answered if it is you Lord, bid me to come and Jesus said Come. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water. *The significance of Peter walking on water are numerous including:* *(1)* The Impossible is Possible.  It is only Impossible because no one has tried it before - *Luke 1:37* *(2)* Breaking New Grounds and reaching New Heights is feasible - *Isaiah 43:18-19* *(3)* Standing shoulder above others is reliasable - *Deuteronomy 28:13* *(4)* Limitations are only real in our Minds but not in Reality - *Genesis 11:6* *(5)* We are wired t

 *IT'S FOR THE COURAGEOUS*.                                 A man's life is divided into three stages. Childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.   Childhood is a foundation-laying stage that begins with birth. Initially, young children remain indoors, learning at home. At this point, parents set their children's lives in motion. It is at this point that you pour it into them. When you design a mold for them, Remember the scripture that says, "Train up a child in the way he should go"?   You are forming a mold and a pattern for your child to follow. At this point, you are in command; you have complete control, and you decide and choose what happens.   Children look up to you in every way. At this point, friendship is your greatest option as a parent.Friendship is your most powerful weapon. Not only for this stage but also for the years ahead. That is your point of contact. Be their pal.   However, the adolescent years are distinct. It is a year of discovery and autono

 SEED OF TRANSFORMATION DAILY DEVOTIONAL                                        *NEW SEASON* *By Pastor E O Gabriel  13 July 2023* SCRIPTURE: Behold, I will do a New Thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert - *Isaiah 43:19* In the Scripture above, God Promised to do a New Thing.  *A New Thing connotes many things including New Dawn, New Beginning, New Era, New Season.* *We will narrow our discussion to New Season and look at it from the following Perspectives:* *(1)* Everything in life has a Season - *Ecclesiastes 3:1* God said I will give you rain in due Season - *Leviticus 26:4* In the same Scripture, He said in the Rainy Season there will be Increase and Fruitfulness. In another Scripture, God said in the Rainy Season, the work of thine hand is blessed and you lend to Nations and not borrow - *Deuteronomy 28:12* Similarly, we have Dry Seasons, Seasons of no rain, Seasons of no increase, famine, barrenn