God Is Serious About Sin In Isaiah 7 & 8

Isaiah 9 - When Judgment Feels Like Fire

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] A wildfire doesn’t need much fuel to spread, and Isaiah says a culture can burn the same way when people forsake God. Pastor Carl brings that warning into sharp focus, showing how judgment can look less like a lightning bolt and more like God letting us experience the natural consequences of our own choices. If you’ve ever wondered why the world feels like it’s unraveling or why “bad things happen to good people,” this message doesn’t dodge the tension. It slows down, questions our assumptions about goodness, and points to the moral reality that makes our outrage possible in the first place. From there, the tone shifts from gloom to hope as Isaiah 9 opens up Galilee’s story: the very place that first tasted oppression becomes the place where Light breaks in. We walk through the prophecy of the virgin-born child, Emmanuel, and the sweeping titles that describe Jesus with clarity and weight: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We also connect the promise of deliverance to Gideon’s unlikely victory, a reminder that God fights battles in ways that humble pride and free people from heavy burdens. The message gets uncomfortably practical when it turns to national arrogance, leadership that misleads, and the reflex to “rebuild stronger” without repentance, even touching on the way Scripture was quoted after 9/11. The thread that holds it together is simple: God is zealous and jealous for our good, and His correction is meant to bring us back into safety, not push us away.  Listen, share with a friend who needs hope that isn’t shallow, and subscribe and leave a review so more people can find Come On Up. Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com [https://themountaincross.com].

Grace As The Strength To Obey

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] Fear can make smart people do foolish things. That’s why Isaiah’s warning feels so current: when leaders and crowds panic, form alliances, and chase control, God calls His people to a different center of gravity. We talk about why the Lord is “with us” only in the sense that we trust Him, believe Him, and obey Him, and how trying to please God in our own strength can quietly turn into a religion we built to bless ourselves. The core takeaway is a relief and a rebuke at the same time: the source of obedience is God’s grace, not our willpower.  We also wrestle with what it means to fear the Lord instead of fearing people. Isaiah says God becomes a sanctuary for those who hallow Him, but a stumbling stone for those who reject His truth. That theme runs straight into practical life: how to stand for righteousness without being motivated by threats, how to “wait on the Lord” by staying faithful to the last thing He told you, and why discipleship is inseparable from discipline shaped by Scripture. If you’ve ever felt pressured by the news cycle, social outrage, or cultural intimidation, this conversation aims to steady your footing.  From there we confront counterfeit spirituality. Isaiah calls out the temptation to seek mediums, psychics, and the dead “on behalf of the living,” and we explain why spiritual experiences are not automatically spiritual truth. The standard is “the law and the testimony,” God’s Word, because voices that refuse that light ultimately lead to confusion, anger, and deeper darkness. And then Isaiah turns the corner toward hope: the people who walked in darkness see a great light, pointing to Emmanuel, Jesus, and to God’s surprising way of winning battles, like Gideon with only 300.  If this helped you, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find it. Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com [https://themountaincross.com].

God Is Serious About Sin In Isaiah 7 & 8

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] God’s grace is quiet like a stream, but ignoring it can unleash a flood. That’s the unsettling picture Pastor Carl draws from Isaiah 7 and Isaiah 8 as Judah watches threats rise, leaders posture, and a nation drifts into faithless confidence. We’re forced to wrestle with a truth many of us try to soften: God is good and gracious, and God is serious about sin, because sin ruins what He loves. We walk through the moment King Ahaz refuses God’s offer of a sign, then hear how the Lord gives a sign anyway, the promise of Immanuel, “God with us.” From there, Isaiah is told to write a prophecy on a large scroll, record it with reliable witnesses, and name a child Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, “swift is booty and speedy is prey.” It’s a timestamp on approaching judgment as Assyria rises, and it becomes a warning about what happens when people reject the gentle “waters of Shiloah” and put their trust in human power. The message doesn’t stay in ancient history. We talk about fear, conspiracies, political pressure, and how easy it is to let threats disciple us. Isaiah’s command is bracing and practical: don’t fear the crowd, fear the Lord, and you’ll find sanctuary instead of anxiety. The same God becomes either a refuge or a stumbling stone, depending on whether we trust His Word or build a faith that simply blesses our preferences. If you’ve felt pulled between panic and peace, this teaching offers a clear next step: hallow the Lord, bind up the testimony, and keep walking in Spirit-led obedience while you wait on God’s timing.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs steadiness, and leave a review to help more people find Come On Up. Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com [https://themountaincross.com].

When Piety Hides Pride

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] A king is shaking with fear, an enemy coalition is closing in, and God offers help so direct it almost feels unfair: ask for a sign. What happens when a leader refuses, not with honest doubt, but with polished religious words that protect his pride? We walk through Isaiah 7 with Pastor Carl as he unpacks King Ahaz, the house of David, and the moment where “looking godly” becomes a cover for not trusting God at all. We also zoom out to the bigger story behind the crisis: Israel’s long line of kings, the split between the Northern Kingdom and Judah, and why alliances and power plays never deliver the security they promise. Along the way we look at the warning that still lands today: “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.” Fear pushes us to grab control, but Isaiah calls Ahaz to be quiet, to stop scrambling, and to trust the Lord instead of his own plans. Then the episode turns toward hope that reaches far beyond Ahaz’s lifetime: the prophecy of the virgin who will conceive and bear a son, and the name Immanuel, God with us. We talk about what this promise means for the coming Messiah, why judgment and refining fire are not empty threats, and how God preserves a remnant even when a nation chooses its own way. If you’re searching for Bible teaching on Isaiah, the Immanuel prophecy, King Ahaz, and what real trust looks like under pressure, this one is for you. Subscribe so you don’t miss future teachings, share this with someone facing a hard decision, and leave a review to help others find the show. What part of your life most tempts you to rely on control instead of trust? Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com [https://themountaincross.com].

When God Stops Speaking - Isaiah 6 & 7

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] If you’ve ever caught yourself saying, “I don’t want to hear that,” this message lands close to home. We sit with a sobering reality from Isaiah: a heart can resist God so long that hearing becomes harder, humility becomes optional, and pride starts to feel normal. Pastor Carl challenges us to stop fighting the direction of the One who leads us to good pasture and to let the Lord take the reins for real. From Isaiah 6, we step into the throne-room vision where God’s glory fills the temple and the seraphim cry, “Holy, holy, holy.” Even these powerful beings cover their faces and feet in reverence, and their worship shakes the foundations. That scene exposes what pride can’t survive: the holiness of God. Isaiah immediately confesses his sin, calling out his “unclean lips,” and we talk about why our words reveal our hearts and why genuine repentance is more than a moment of emotion. Then grace breaks in. A live coal from the altar touches Isaiah’s mouth and his guilt is taken away, pointing us to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that cleanses, purifies, and makes prayer acceptable before God. Only after cleansing does Isaiah hear the call, “Whom shall I send?” and respond, “Here I am, send me,” even when the assignment is heavy and the people are hard-hearted. We also move into Isaiah 7 and the real-world fear around King Ahaz as nations plot war, showing how God speaks into political chaos with a clear command: do not fear, trust Me. The episode ends by lifting our eyes toward Isaiah’s promised new heaven and new earth, where God’s justice outlasts the headlines. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com [https://themountaincross.com].