Trying to upgrade to laravel 5.3 but I keep seeing error `Call to undefined method Illuminate\Auth\Access\Gate::abilities()`

I am trying to upgrade laravel 5.3 from 5.2 but I keep seeing these two errors in my log file:

Symfony\Component\Debug\Exception\FatalErrorException: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined method Illuminate\Auth\Access\Gate::abilities() in /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php:237

And this one:

Symfony\Component\Debug\Exception\FatalThrowableError: Call to undefined method Illuminate\Log\Writer::setHandlers() in Command line code:1

Full stack outputs:

[2020-08-13 08:26:58] local.ERROR: Symfony\Component\Debug\Exception\FatalErrorException: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined method Illuminate\Auth\Access\Gate::abilities() in /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php:237
Stack trace:
#0 Command line code(1): Illuminate\Support\Facades\Facade::__callStatic('abilities', Array)
#1 {main}
  thrown in /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Support/Facades/Facade.php:237

[2020-08-13 08:26:58] local.ERROR: Symfony\Component\Debug\Exception\FatalThrowableError: Call to undefined method Illuminate\Log\Writer::setHandlers() in Command line code:1
Stack trace:
#0 [internal function]: VscodeLaravelExtraIntellisenseProvider->boot()
#1 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Container/Container.php(508): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#2 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(769): Illuminate\Container\Container->call(Array)
#3 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(752): Illuminate\Foundation\Application->bootProvider(Object(VscodeLaravelExtraIntellisenseProvider))
#4 [internal function]: Illuminate\Foundation\Application->Illuminate\Foundation\{closure}(Object(VscodeLaravelExtraIntellisenseProvider), 2)
#5 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(753): array_walk(Array, Object(Closure))
#6 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/BootProviders.php(17): Illuminate\Foundation\Application->boot()
#7 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php(203): Illuminate\Foundation\Bootstrap\BootProviders->bootstrap(Object(Illuminate\Foundation\Application))
#8 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/Kernel.php(267): Illuminate\Foundation\Application->bootstrapWith(Array)
#9 /Users/rohan0793/Code/poptin_v3/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/Kernel.php(113): Illuminate\Foundation\Console\Kernel->bootstrap()
#10 Command line code(1): Illuminate\Foundation\Console\Kernel->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\Console\Input\ArgvInput), Object(Symfony\Component\Console\Output\ConsoleOutput))

I have no idea where these are coming from and how to resolve them.

UPDATE: I see these errors every minute at 41 secs. Example 13:35:41 But according to my crontab in homestead, I don't have any crons scheduled

via Chebli Mohamed