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No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering (Hebrews 12:22, NLT).
Mount Zion
In the Book of 2 Samuel, we find the “stronghold of Zion” conquered by King David, then renamed the “City of David” as a place where he built his palace. Throughout the Psalms and prophets, Mount Zion stands for Jerusalem, a place where God dwells and rules and the eternal destination of those who follow the living God.
Mar-a-Lago
According to Wikipedia. . .
Mar-a-Lago is a resort and National Historic Landmark on a barrier island in Palm Beach, Florida. It spans 126 rooms built on 17 acres. Since 1985, it has been owned by President Donald Trump. The estate has been his primary residence (outside the White House) since 2019.
And since President Trump won (or conquered) the last election, Mar-a-Lago has become a de facto “Florida White House” destination of business and world leaders for decisions and policies that impact the world.
Mount Zion
As followers of Jesus, we are primarily citizens of Mount Zion. . .
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior (Philippians 3:20).
Mar-a-Lago
As citizens of heaven, we should honor our governing authorities. . .
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God (Romans 13:1).
Mount Zion vs. Mar-a-Logo
But what happens if our government asks or commands us to do something unbiblical, unethical, or immoral?
There are two parts to our answer. Part of the answer is easy — with Jesus as our Lord, we seek first the Kingdom of God in all things. The other part of the answer becomes complicated as we discern which command or policy of the government is unbiblical, unethical, or immoral.
We Argue and Fight
An American tradition (and I believe it’s healthy) is that we debate the ideas of the current Trump presidency, as we did in the past with Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, and Eisenhower (the presidents of my lifetime).
But the fighting and arguing have grown more intense. We think we must win, and those who disagree with us not only are wrong, but we ask, “How can they believe such a thing and still be a Christian?”
Unity
Our unity can be found in Jesus, and I’m glad those who question my salvation aren’t my Savior. However, the Scripture also teaches that political turmoil and even divisions in families will be signs of the end times.
As a believer, I can only endorse Jesus as Lord.
And I state emphatically that my loyalty lies with Mount Zion and not Mar-a-Lago. I’m Biblically considering some of the already stated thoughts from Mar-a-Lago that I find problematic — just as I did with Biden, Bush, Clinton, Reagan, etc.
I’m grateful my Savior doesn’t ask me to blindly follow Him, that He had compassion for doubting Thomas, along with forgiving the thrice-betrayal of Peter, as I doubt and need forgiveness too.
My Conclusion: Mount Zion: Eternal and Mar-a-Lago: Temporal!
Amen!