Interesting. There have been some times when I have perceived a thought God had for me, but not audibly. Also, it has been common that my pastor would mention something in a sermon that seemed directly targeted at me..more precise than I think was meant generally for the membership.
However, I'm very pessimistic over claims that are audible. I'm not totally convinced that God doesn't communicate in ways other than Scripture, though. I know some Muslims who have had dreams that had a gospel content, or led them to someone to learn the gospel from. And, one of the individuals I know at some level personally and I find him to be credible.
I guess part of my pessimism relates to the claimer rather than the possibility. There are a lot of nuts on this site, and if I've heard them say things that are theologically strange, I pretty much discount them with regards to any claim.
I wouldn't place you in the same group, Angela. You seem to be a sound thinker so your remarks would carry more weight with me than many others. If someone displays an erratic theology, I am likely to discount them out-of-hand.
If my pastor or some other sound thinker related an account like that, I'd be likely to believe them.
I realized I had forgotten my usual codicil!
"If God speaks to you and says anything contrary to the Bible, you can be 100% assured it is not from God!"
Too many people run amuck with signs dreams and/or visions that directly contradict the Bible. That being said, false voices should never preclude that others HAVE heard the voice of God, when it confirms to Scripture, and if it concerns a path to take, it comes to pass!
I'm in Chronicles right now, and every king consults some kind of seer regarding wars, and God's will. In Ahab's case, most were utterly false in what they heard from God! In fact, they probably hadn't heard from God at all, just making it up to please the king!
But one prophet, Micaiah, son of Imlah, did prophesy gloom and doom. In 2 Chron. 18, he is instructed to "speak favourably" to the king, and he does! But Ahab commands him to speak the truth, he prophecies disaster, and points out lying prophets that the King listens to! Of course, Micaiah does speak God's truth, Ahab is killed by a random shot in battle, and Israel is "scattered" forever 100 years later!
Now, this really leads back to the cessessionist vs continuist debate (sp??) of course. The canon is closed, God has given the church all it needs to function, to grow and to spread the gospel. But, why would we limit God and say he is not able to speak to people? The early church did not have a completed canon, they were led by the Holy Spirit. But, heresy did arise, hence the need for many of the epistles.
As you say, God does speak through the preachers, and through his Word! We can be thankful for that! Sometimes he speaks through other people, confirming what God may have already spoken to us through his Word! But sometimes, in the case of me wandering in the New Age movement, or Muslims, he speaks in dreams, or with an inner voice! God is certainly able to use whatever method he chooses to save the lost! And, in my case, he spoke to me at pivotal moments, when I truly needed that personal touch!
Not that it is necessary to hear from God that way, as we do have the Word, which does speak to us clearly!