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massive Soviet buildup of interme–
diate-range missiles able to strike
at any part of Western Eu rope.
While Mr. Schmidt generally
listened cautiously, President
Giscard' s constant theme of Eu–
ropean unity and renewed world
influence won enthusiastic sup–
port from Mr. Schmidt's chancel–
lor-challenger, Franz Josef
Strauss. Mr. Giscard and Mr.
Strauss met in historie Würz–
burg, a few hours away from
Munich.
Mr. Strauss agreed with Presj–
dent G iscard that France and
West Germany "shared a com–
mon destiny." Thís and the natu–
ral alliance betweeJl the two
neighbors, he said, should cause
no other country in Europe con–
cero.
Mr. Giscard, incidentally, was
the first French head of state to
visit Würzburg since the Emper-
. or Napoleon. While tbere, he
recalled that Charlemagne had
also preceded him and "looked
upon its walls."
On the second day of the state
visit, perhaps the most symbolic
gesture of harmony between the
two powers was made. The two
heads of government inspected
German and French troops at a
joint parade in Baden-Baden .
Baden-Baden is the site where
about 50,000 French troops are
stationed on West German soil.
Both statesmen pointed to
Franco-German military coopera–
tion as a demonstration of the
friendship between the two coun–
tries, which the president's visit
was intended to underl ine. For
those with a sense of history, the
parade of the two armies, march–
ing shoulder to shoulder, was a
truly historie event.
The Franco-German alliance–
the absolutely essential ingredient
to any concept of European unity
revealed in . bíblica! prophecy–
has been building slowly for sorne
time. But the lack of contempo–
rary American leadership in the
Western alliance is now forcing
the two competitors together, for
mutual protection, more t han
ever befare.
o
October
1
November 1980
Habit?
(Continued from page 17)
for the first time, "What is the
true purpose of life? " You will
need to understand what charac–
ter really is and its importance in
successful living.
Character is coming to know
right from wrong, good from bad.
lt means admitting when you are
wrong and turning from the
wrong. l t means determining,
despite all difficult circum–
stances, to do the right instead of
the wrong. That means a person
must mobilize all available re–
sources to conquer a bad habit.
And here is where the power of
the Spirit of God comes in to
overcome bad physical and spiri–
tual habits or sins. Overcoming
bad habits is one of life's supreme
challenges!
You have to ask yourself
squarely, " Is being a slave to a
bad habit- damaging my mental
or physical health, being obnox–
ious to my neighbor- really the
way God wants me to live?"
" ... glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are
God's [not truly yours), "reveals
Scripture.
Sorne may say, "But my bad
habits are not my fault! " Perhaps
that is true, particularly if pat–
terns started in early years of life
under wrong influences or from
ignorance.
But the fact is, there was a
time when habits were within our
control, but we
permitted
them to
reach a point where they became
out of control.
There are all kinds of annoying
habits. Perhaps not all are neces–
sarily great faults, but then again,
maybe they could be. Such could
be chewi ng food with one's
mouth open or talking with food
in one's mouth. Frequent body
odor in social situations from not
enough bathing reveal a lack of
sense of decorum or wrong con–
cero for oneself or others. These
become sin if you contemptuously
refuse to change them after you
realize them.
There are sorne bad habits that
are outright sin.
"Be not deceived: neither for–
nicators, nor idolators, nor adul–
terers, nor effeminate, nor abus–
ers of themselves with mankind,
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extor–
tioners, shall inherit the kingdom
ofGod" ( 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Certain individuals develop the
habit of lying, of exaggerating or
cursing.
Human Pow e r Not Enough
The Bible reveals all of the essen–
tial laws of overcoming bad habits
mentioned in this article.
That is because the true way of
life-the way of giving-is not
just "accepting the Lord in your
hearts," as many religious leaders
emphasize. Living right befare
God
is
overcoming wrong habits
of acting, thinking and feeling . l t
is developing-with God's help
and Hi s written revelation–
sound mental, emotional and spir–
itual traits of character.
" To him that overcometh [sin–
fui pulls and habits) will 1 grant
to sit with me in my throne, even
as 1 also overcame [temptations to
sin], and am set down with my
Father in his throne," said Jesus
Christ (Revelation 3:21 ).
' 'Be not deceived, God is not
mocked," emphasizes Scripture,
"for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap" (Galatians
6:7).
We sow bad habits, we reap
sickness, sorrow and eventually
death.
The ultimate author of all bad
habits is Satan the devil. Sorne
deny his existence. But he is very
real. He has influenced the way
this world has lived throughout
history. The apostle Paul put it
plainly in Ephesians 2:2-3:
" ... in time past ye [before
repentance] walked according to
the course of this world, accord–
ing to the prince [Satan) of the
power of the air , the spirit that
now worketh in the chíldren of
disobedience."
Satan broadcasts into human
minds wrong moods, feelings and
ideas to which humans can re–
spond.
With what results? "Among
whom also we
al!
had our [con-
29