We cannot be dogmatic about a lot of issues concerning someone who says he hears God. First, was it with his ear as an audible voice, or an inner voice? The Bible gives no examples of someone hearing an inner voice and the still, small voice that Elijah heard was audible, though quiet. When one hears from God he can quote God verbatim and has no doubt it is God--there is no mistake. Sometimes we tend to say that we think God is telling us something. Does it contradict Scripture or is it in line with sound thinking?
To be sure, we must realize that God has chosen to speak through His Word and we are to learn to depend on this medium. However, there are exceptions to the rule and we cannot preclude God doing whatever He chooses to and breaking the mold, so to speak. Heb. says that God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. I believe we live in the latter days, though I do not necessarily believe the rapture is imminent because of the revived state of Israel, among other fulfillments of prophecy. John says, "...it is the last hour" (cf. 1 John 2:18).
I believe that the prophecy of Joel 2 was fulfilled at Pentecost as Peter asserted. However, the closer we get to the 2nd coming of Christ, the more we may see these phenomena again. I do not believe God has retired dreams or visions and have had personal experience of brothers having these. We must remain skeptical, however, and be Bereans and not base any doctrine on them. I refuse to call some brother a liar, but still, take it with a grain of salt. The tendency is to jump to the conclusion that brothers who have so-called experiences in the Spirit are spiritual giants or have special favor from God--this is not so as they may be baby Christians even. God is God and can do as He pleases and what He wants and we must humbly accept this.
A Christian who has a vision or hears a voice may also be mentally unstable (mentally ill), may be deceived by Satan, a liar, or just honestly mistaken. Some people who hear voices are cured by medication and some are set free by prayer or intervention by Christians. If someone has a message from God, it cannot be a new revelation, as the canon of Scripture is closed and everything we need to know is the Bible. The people I have heard do not claim any of this but simple messages like "I want your cigarettes," "I love you this much...." If they said, "I have a new interpretation or revelation about the dinosaurs," I would be incredulous.
There are some Christian leaders today, a la John MacArthur and Charles Colson who have been called modern-day prophets; however, they are just redefining the term and these men are not the equals of biblical prophets. These men are not receiving messages from God, but are just gifted in spiritual insight. Being a member of a charismatic, Pentecostal church I recognize all the gifts of the Spirit except someone who says he's an apostle (the Bible says apostles are to demonstrate miracles and signs as verification). I have seen brethren prophesy or speak in tongues (glossolalia). My doctrinal interpretation is strictly experiential and not because I can prove or disprove it from Scripture--I am aware of the position of cessationists (who say this has ceased), like John MacArthur and their positions. I would simply invite him to visit a Pentecostal church and see if he can judge them.
To hear God, we must learn to listen to Him and realize that God doesn't make cookie-cutter Christians and treats us all as individuals and we must see how God speaks to us. The most obvious way with me is to have an existential encounter or "Aha!" moment with Scripture and the impression it makes on me is not in doubt. God speaks through preaching by convicting the sinner, et alia. I have many times said, "Boy, God sure spoke to me in that sermon!" Rom. 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the Word of God." To be sure, no matter how clever the sermon or articulate the speaker, God honors His Word and we are to depend on that and not our own wording. I've heard it said that God can speak through the air conditioning vent if He wants to but count on Him speaking through the Word itself. The more we pay attention to the Spirit "speaking" to us the more sensitive we get and our spiritual ears are tuned in to God. Jesus said, "Let him that has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
In conclusion, don't let someone bully you are spiritually one-up you by claiming so-called spiritual credentials of experience (though we all can experience God in a manner of speaking). I can fully understand why God treats me the way He does: He has given me a sound minc and expects me to use it. Would I rather me otherwise just to hear a voice? Jesus said to Thomas that they are blessed who have not seen and yet believe; it can be deduced that they are blessed who believe despite not hearing a voice. Soli Deo Gloria!
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