Why are we surprised that Goliath News Media is mocking Governor Huckabee?  Take a look at what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5:

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you^[c] and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

I urge you to pay close attention to the Republican debates this evening on CNN.  Carefully weigh what each candidate has to say about the issues.  I doubt that Romney will have another whisper (surely his advisers can find another means to prompt him without it going over the air).  But I want to propose a reason why Romney needed coaching at the last debate: he does not stand for something.  He has no convictions.  And if you don’t stand up for what you really believe in,  you’ll stand up for anything.

But don’t take my word for it.  Here are some of Governor Romney’s words:

On Abortion:

I will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose and am devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard.”Boston Herald Debate, 10/29/02

“Roe v. Wade continues to work its destructive logic throughout our society This can’t continue.”Speech to the Massachusetts Citizens For Life Mother’s Day Pioneer Valley Dinner, 5/10/07

On Illegal Immigration

“With these 11 million people [here illegally], let’s have them registered, know who they are….those that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship.”Lowell Sun, 3/30/06

“One simple rule: no amnesty. If that [Kennedy-McCain bill] is not a form of amnesty, I don’t know what is.”

On the Second Amendment

“We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them. I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.” Romney in 2002 gov. debate, Boston Globe, 1/14/07

“I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I’m a member of the NRA and believe firmly in the right to bear arms.”Boston Globe, 1/14/07

On serving in the military

“I was not planning on signing up for the military. It was not my desire to go off and serve in Vietnam…”Boston Herald, 5/2/94

“I longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be representing our country there and in some ways it was frustrating not to feel like I was there as part of the troops that were fighting in Vietnam.”Boston Globe, 6/24/07

Mitt Romney is a bad fit for America because he has no place to firmly set his feet.  On what should a person stand?  The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5 that we should stand firmly in the faith:

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Stand firm in what faith?  To a Christian, standing firm in the faith means standing firm in the faith that we who put our hope in Christ have eternal life.  We follow him and strive to obey his commandments.  We seek to please God in everything we do.  Who does Mitt Romney seek to please?  From the flip-flopping of comments, I think he seeks to please the electorate.  He wants to please those who he thinks will vote for him.  (Let’s set aside, for the moment, whether a Mormon is a Christian.  Since he also told us in a recent debate that he believes the Bible is God’s word, we shall see if he follows through with his actions.)

Hmm.  Should a candidate seek to please the people?  What’s wrong with that picture?  Colossians 3 shows us why it’s wrong to put our efforts into pleasing the people:

23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Therein lies the main difference between Romney and Huckabee.  Governor Huckabee is serving Christ.  An obvious piece of evidence that he is indeed following Christ is the excessive bashing he is getting in the press.  Goliath News Media is either saying he should drop out of the race or ignoring him altogether.  He is being slammed for his convictions.  He’s being mocked, persecuted, lied about, and evil, untrue things are being said about him.  For that matter, those of us who support him are being slammed for ours in blogs all over the place.

They say we’re ignorant or extreme, and they use the word ‘evangelical’ as if it’s a bad word.  They say we’re anti-abortion instead of calling us pro-life.  They use language to try to push us down and stomp us out of the culture.  But you know what?  Jesus said this would happen and that when it does, we are to REJOICE!

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you^[c] and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

I like being put in the same category as the ancient prophets.  If supporting Mike Huckabee means people steal signs  out of my yard or write ugly emails, then so be it.  Like Mike, I have convictions.

I leave you and encourage you with these words from 1 Corinthians 15:

57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.