If you will, do a study on how often in the Bible God spoke, rather than just of laying down doctrine (which is of extremely high importance), but of personal, timely instruction to individuals about a vast variety of subjects. He was, and still is, interested in giving personal guidance and loving instruction.
He will never do anything that contradicts His written Word. But, His written Word shows forth that He is willing to and desires to communicate with His children. Of course if they refuse to see this, through ignorance and unbelief, they will not have this intimate, awesome, two way, living experience with Him. He is gracious though, and will lovingly accept this child and will work with and use this usually well intended child at the level of belief they have.
Granted there are many false, emotionally driven encounters that charlatans and the naive may think that are from God, and are not. It is sad that these false encounters often serve to drive the more careful and grounded Christian from being open to The Living LORD revealing Himself to them through living and true communications. Who can say how much true and living communion they have forfeited through their fear of being decieved, not letting Jesus into their lives in a manner as to truly “sup with Him”.
There is a reason, yes, we are to try the spirits so as not to not get caught up with false spirits. But let us not be so afraid of false spirits that we shut our lives up to all but a secondhand experience with The LORD, as though being satisfied with living vicariously through the people in The Bible, rather than being our own living epistles before God. Let us allow Him to lead us into all that He has prepared for us. Let us not be afraid to believe Him for amazing things, as Jesus, our perfect example modeled for us, and in His manner. God is a loving, mighty, miracle working God. His miracles, and His voice are His glory. May we see the glory of God. May The LORD be magnified.
Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (The word proceedeth is not past tense, but more of a tense that suggests on a continual basis).
I think you have raised a very interesting and critical point.
I think there is tremendous over reaction to the excess claims of some. I know someone who makes claims of God speaking to her all the time, her always having a *word* for other people from God to give to them, that she dreams prophetically all the time, etc, etc, and yet this woman has the mouth of a sailor, watches all kinds of awful stuff on TV, claims that God doesn’t care what she does, that He is not concerned if she sins, has a volatile relationship with her husband......
You would not know by how she lives that she is a Christian.
Anyway, people see that sort of thing and the excesses of Pentecostalism and I can see where they are concerned with being deceived.