Exodus 24:17
The sight of the glory of The LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
The King James translates 'consuming' as 'devouring'. We know what it looks like when someone is devouring food or when a wildfire devours a landscape. The relentless pursuit of satisfying one's cravings or hunger tears a body up until that crave is satisfied. The terror if you are in the path of the wildfire fills you so that some come to a standstill and cannot move, while others flee to get away. This is the effect that the 'fire on the mountain of God' had on the Israelites who were following Moses.
Exodus 19:18
Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because The LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.
This consuming fire is the presence of The Lord God. All the human eye can see is smoke and fire and earthquake. I guess that would be terrifying, wouldn't it, if you can't see with the eyes of your heart or spirit.
But when the disciples experienced the fire of God, as God's Holy Spirit came down upon them, they were not afraid. They were ready because they were prayed up. After all, these 120 men and women had fellowshipped and prayed together for fifty days, not knowing when God would send The Comforter, but wanting to be ready when He arrived.
Are you ready for God to send His Holy Spirit to you? Are you prayed up? Are you eagerly anticipating His arrival? God cannot send His Holy Spirit to us if we are not ready to receive Him.
Let us come together in peaceful fellowship and pray together faithfully and sincerely that our Lord and Savior would make us ready to receive Him, that we, too, might walk in the power of The Holy Spirit of God. He Who fills us with Himself will Himself give us His strength to testify on His behalf of this wonderful gift of grace through Jesus Christ.
HOLY SPIRIT RAIN DOWN - Alvin Slaughter
WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT - Hilde M. Bedsvaag
