St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1938-02-25
Improved n SUNDAY
Uniform c~-o0T
= ESSON =
BY REV. HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST.
Dean of the Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
g Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for February q
MEASURING A MANS WORTH


Home Well.
JUNIOR ToPIc-what Is q Man
Worth?
. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-What Am Worth2
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
1C-Putting People Before Profit.
Awful is the scene that meets US
as we go with our Lord across the
sea of Galilee and draw up to the
shore of the country of the
Gadarenes. Distressing beyond
words is the plight of the man who
is under the power Of a legion Of
the demons of Satan; inspiring is the
assurance that Christ is victor over
the devil and his hosts; soul-search-
ing is the disappointing picture Of
the men as they evaluate their
brothers spiritual need over against
personal gain.
The same mighty conflict between
the two great spiritual kingdoms,
Of good and evil, God and Satan,
goes on in our day. Jesus Christ
is still greater . than he that
is in the world Il John 4:N. Equal
ly true is it that we must each one
of us choose what is to be our at
titude toward the conflict, and es-
pecially toward the Christ.
I. The Power of Satan (vv. 1-0.
Foolish men sometimes speak
boldly about Satan as though he
were only weakling, or perchance
but a creature of legend.
The devil who is but one being.
operates through many evil spir-
its, or demons. They are every
where active, and it appears from
Scripture that they seek physical
body through which they may func-
ton. Demon-possession, which was
so common in our Lords day, still
exists, especially on the mission
field. There are some who believe
that the almost unbelievable cum
ming and brazen wickedness of mod
ern gangsters is an expression OF
demoniacal control
Spiritism is another activity
which seems to be the special field
of demons. 1t is evidently not al
together a fraud, but rather the
stimulation of the dead by evil spirits
who are the familiar spirits of me-
diums. Christian people surely will
have nothing to do with such dan
gerous and ungodly practices, and
others imperil themselves by every
such contact.
The text graphically portrays
what becomes of poor soul who
has gotten into the clutches OF
Satan. 1t is a dark and terrifying
picture known to us even in this
year of 1888. But, thank God, there
is way of deliverance.
II. The Victory of Christ wv. g.
49,.
The command of Jesus ". 81 evil
IDENTIFY preceded the cry of the de-
mons ". y. Notice that the de-
mons who hated our Lord had no
doubts about His being the Son of
God. They knew Him. How strange
it is that many voices that deny
His deity come from the pulpit,
the professors chair, or over the
radio, in the name of Christianity!
The demons knew His power, also,
for though they adjured Him not to
torment them, they realized that
they must obey His command to
come out of the man." They
asked permission to enter the swine.
The keepers of the swine fed to
tell the owners. They and others
came to see what had happened.
They saw the demoniac seated,
clothed and in his right faind, land
they greatly rejoiced and magniied
the name of the Lord" Did they?
No, indeed! They were afraid"
". 15). land they began to pray
him to depart ". I'D.
Why were they afraidP Two rea-
sons are suggested. In the first
place they wanted no spiritual &C.
tivity that would interfere with their
business. Swine were of more
value in their sight than the liberia
ton of demon-possessed men. They
have their successors in our day.
Such are the men who rent their
buildings for taverns and dance
halls because they want money.
Akin to them are those who counsel
against the expenditure Of money
to keep the church open. the Sunday
school operating, and for the send
ing Of missionaries into fields white
unto harvest.
A tract entitled Suppose" asks
the pertinent and searching question,
Suppose / were offered $4,000 for
every soul led to Christ; would
that impel me to do more than
now do because of the constraining
love of Christi"
Another reason for their fear was
that they did not want TO be dis
turbed in their state of spiritual
somnolence. Someone has said that
the reason the church of our day
does not have a revival is be-
cause it doesn't want it. If revival
fires began to burn crooked things
would have to be made straight,
worldliness would have to be put
away, the pursuit of money would
have to be set aside while men