| 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. First of all, "do not put out the Spirit's fire," because God often prompts us. Holy Spirit not only prompts the prophets, but also every brother and sister. At the end of each Sunday service, the pastor always says the prayer of benediction: "May the grace of Lord Jesus Christ, love of God, and the fellowship of the Spirit, be with you all, now and ever more." Holy Spirit indeed often prompts us, talks to us and reminds us. For example, you might be prompted today to call a brother or sister, but it's kind of late and you decide to call him or her later, but then by tomorrow you've already forgotten about it. The Holy Spirit often prompts us to care for some people, but we put off His fire and do not follow His will. As a result, the work of God cannot be accomplished through us. Second, "do not treat prophecies with contempt." Prophets must convey God's messages and His will. Even though some of the prophets' word might not make sense now, we need to test is over time because it might become relevant later. When God told Abraham that he will have a son, Abraham was already 75 years old, but it wasn't until Abraham turned 100 that he actually got a son. In other word, it took 25 years for the prophet's word to come true, so the message was indeed time-sensitive. Prophets' words might also be conditional; you must follow God's word in order to receive God's promise. If the prophet says that you will be used by God mightily in preaching the Lord's Gospel, the promise won't ever be fulfilled if you refuse to go out. Finally, the prophets' word need to be tested; even if the first 99 words are right, it doesn't mean that the 100th word is accurate. Therefore, Paul asked us to "hold on to the good" and "avoid every kind of evil." We need to know how to discern everything. When the prophets' word are released, it reveals God's will in our lives. When we follow God's word, we will benefit from God's promises. Pray with Pastor Tong Liu 
Lord, let us once again give you thanks, because you are willing to prompt us and speak to us. We also thank you for your prophets. Let us respect the prophets in spirit; give us a humble and soft heart to receive their word, and to discern whether their word is from you. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
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