<TITLE>08. Par 23-25</TITLE>L-23 For instance, here's a thorn tree growing. It's--it's life, this thorn tree. And it's got thorns all over it, and it's got a funny looking leaf on it. Now, you see, it takes something besides any human work to change that thorn tree, and make them thorns go off of it, and just unfold, and be real pretty smooth leaves, and bear oranges. Now, you see, what would have to take place? You'd have to transfer the life of an orange tree into that thorn tree, and then it would actually bear oranges, because the life inside of it is orange. Of course, you couldn't do that naturally. It won't--it won't cross that way.
But that's what we are. Like, we--we are now a--a wheat, a grain of wheat in God's garner, when we was a cocklebur. And God changed us from a cocklebur to a grain of wheat. It makes the fruits different, changing your own mind, your own ideas. It's the greatest miracle that ever happened, when a man or a woman is borned again of the Spirit of God, and becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus.

L-24 Now, we find then that God told Abraham, "Because you have did this..." And give the patriarch this great trial, He said, "Your seed shall possess the gates of the enemy." Of his enemies, enemies--it's in the plural. "They shall possess the gates of the enemy." Now, his seed. Now, who's He talking about, the seed? The seed is the Church.
How do we come to Church? Not by joining it, but by being borned into it. You see, I--I believe that we have our organization, our denominations, and them things are all right; but that don't put us in the Church. We could join every one of them, and still not be in the Church. You don't--you're not joined in the Church, you're borned in the Church. You become the family of God. Now, I've been in the Branham family for fifty-one years, and they never did ask me to join the family, because I was a Branham at birth. I was born in the family. I--I be a Branham by birth. That's how you become a Christian, by birth. When you're borned again, you become a new creature, a new creation in Christ Jesus, and all old things has passed away, and all things has become new again. What a wonderful... I'd like to ask the church one thing. What greater treasure could you find in earth tonight? What could you find that you would swap for this hope? Why, there couldn't be nothing that would no way touch it any way, for this great hope.

L-25 Now, but remember, "Thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemy." The seed shall possess. Now, He's talking now of Abraham's seed. And how do we become Abraham's seed? By being dead in Christ, Galatians 3. We, when we're dead in Christ, we become Abraham's seed. See? We--we're dead to the things of the world, and begin a new creature in Christ Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit that was in Christ is in us. And that makes us Abraham's seed, and gives us Abraham's faith. See? That's the reason people say, "Oh, I wouldn't believe in Divine healing."
I was talking to a certain minister. Nothing against the man, he's got a right for his ideas. He's an American the same as we are. And he said, "Brother Branham, I don't care if you could produce ten thousand miracles. It's still... I do not believe in healing."
I said, "Certainly not. It--it wasn't for unbelievers, it was just for those who believe." See? That's right. It's--it's not for unbelievers. It was only meant for believers. That's all. This Holy Spirit is to them that believe. Divine healing is for those who believe. Not unbelievers; it's believers.


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