When The World Goes Dark

When The World Goes Dark

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] When life feels stable, it’s easy to confuse comfort with security. But what happens when the lights go out, the plans collapse, or the “kingdom” we built for ourselves starts to shake? We lean into Isaiah 13 and the fall of Babylon to ask a modern question with ancient weight: what are we really depending on? Pastor Carl walks through God’s judgment on pride and evil and connects it to the bigger biblical storyline of the day of the Lord, human rebellion, and God’s unshakable sovereignty. Along the way, we sit with difficult passages about brutality and justice, and we talk candidly about why the reality of sin and the fall of man cannot be ignored. This is not doom for doom’s sake; it is a call to honesty, repentance, and humility before God. We also turn to Psalm 137, “by the rivers of Babylon,” where exile exposes the tug of prosperity, distraction, and forgetting what matters most. The thread running through it all is the gospel: God’s wrath against sin is real, and for those who trust Jesus Christ, that wrath has already been poured out at the cross. Because of Jesus, we can trade our sin for the righteousness of God and live as salt and light in a world that still needs hope. If this helped you think clearly about Isaiah, Babylon, end times prophecy, grace, and daily Christian living, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. 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].

Babylon, Judgment, And Hope - Isaiah 13 & 14

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] What if the most “essential” thing in your life vanished tomorrow? We talk a lot about what we can’t live without, but a dead phone, a long blackout, or one hard season can expose something deeper: what happens when it feels like God has stepped away. From the start, we set that tension on the table and then open Scripture with Pastor Carl for a focused Bible study through Isaiah 13 and Isaiah 14. Isaiah’s message is blunt and strangely comforting at the same time. Israel is warned about Assyria because the nation drifts into idolatry, exploitation, and self-rule, yet Isaiah also looks far ahead to Babylon’s rise and fall. That prediction would have sounded impossible in its moment, which is exactly why it matters. Biblical prophecy reminds us that God is outside of time, faithful to his word, and perfectly holy. We explore why the “burden against Babylon” isn’t just a history lesson, but an encouragement that God sees evil clearly, limits it, and will judge it in his timing. We also dig into the Day of the Lord, not only as a future end times reality when Jesus returns, but as a pattern of God’s correction that can show up in a nation or in a personal life. Babylon becomes more than a city, symbolizing the recurring human impulse to build a kingdom without God, chasing power, prestige, and control. The passage forces hard questions about the sovereignty of God, human free will, and why God may use fallen people to bring justice while still holding them accountable for real sin. If you want to keep going, we’ve got resources to help you take a next step toward Jesus and deeper Christian discipleship. Subscribe, share this teaching with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the podcast. 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].

Isaiah 12 - Jesus Makes A Way

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] Peace is the word everyone uses and the thing so few people actually feel. We dig into Isaiah and land on a blunt spiritual diagnosis: when we push Jesus out of the equation, we chase counterfeit peace and wonder why our hearts still stay restless. Then we bring it down to the most personal level possible, naming the chasm sin creates and praying with honesty: Lord, dry it up, flatten it, make a way back to you. Pastor Carl walks through Isaiah’s “in that day” promises and shows how prophecy points to Jesus as the Root of Jesse, the banner lifted high for healing, forgiveness, and hope. We talk about why looking to Christ changes more than our beliefs, it changes our desires, our worship, and the way we handle weakness, conviction, and surrender. If you’ve been trying to be your own salvation, Isaiah 12 becomes a reset: God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid. We also explore Isaiah’s vision of God gathering his people from the nations, restoring what was divided, and preparing a highway home, then connect that larger story to everyday Christian living: the water of the Word, the living water Jesus offers, and the joy that rises when faith becomes real. If the world feels like chaos is winning, this is an invitation to fix your eyes on God’s promises and find steady ground again.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs peace, and leave a review, then tell us: where do you go first when you’re desperate for peace? 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].

Isaiah 11 And The Branch From Jesse

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] A single word can change how you read a whole passage and how you trust the Bible. Pastor Carl takes us into Isaiah 11 and shows why the “Branch” from the line of Jesse isn’t just poetic language, it’s a messianic prophecy that points straight to Jesus. We follow the thread from the Old Testament to the New Testament and land on a famous puzzle from Matthew 2:23: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Where is that “prophecy” in the Hebrew Scriptures? The answer is surprisingly careful, rooted in how Scripture interprets Scripture and how the Holy Spirit can reveal deeper connections without ripping verses out of context. Along the way, we talk about why confident, context-free interpretation is one of the fastest paths toward false teaching, even when it sounds spiritual. Isaiah 11 also gives a clear framework for the “seven spirits of God” language in Revelation. Rather than seven different spirits, we see the sevenfold ministry and attributes of the one Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. That leads into a bigger hope, God’s righteous judgment, the power of his Word, and the peaceable kingdom where creation is remade and the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord. If you’re hungry for deeper Bible study, Christian discernment, and a clearer picture of Jesus the Messiah, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves Scripture, and leave a review so more people can find the show. 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 That Breaks Sin’s Grip

Send us a note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2558759/fan_mail/new] Pride loves to take credit and it rarely sees judgment coming. Today we sit with Isaiah’s blunt picture of Assyria: a ruthless power that boasts like it owns the world, even though it’s only an instrument in God’s hands. Pastor Carl walks us through the “axe and saw” warning against arrogance, then brings it home with a question that hits all of us: when life is going well, do we quietly start believing our strength is the reason? From there, the conversation widens into spiritual realities. We talk about how Scripture uses images like birds and leaven to warn that the enemy doesn’t only attack from the outside, and how small sin can spread until it hollows out a heart or a church. We also explore God’s character as both Savior and Judge, and why that isn’t a contradiction but a call to choose which side we’ll stand on through repentance and trust. Hope runs through the whole message in the promise of a remnant and in the gospel itself. God’s grace is bigger than any sin, but it never excuses sin. Jesus, the Anointed One, invites the heavy-laden to come for rest, breaks the yoke, and gives new hearts that can actually obey. If you’re wrestling with fear, addiction, shame, or self-reliance, this teaching offers a clear path back: stop making alliances with what feels powerful and run to Christ instead.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. 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].