Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - One of the core beliefs of the Campbell River Vineyard is that God is speaking to us. There is a Rama Space in their church. People who receive a word, vision or relevant scripture reference can explain to the congregation what the Lord has put on their hearts. So Cortes Currents asked Senior Pastors Barry and Nancy Kaardal, ‘How does God speak to us?’

God speaks in multiple ways

“Well, actually God speaks to us in multiple ways,” replied Nancy.

“Sometimes we know that this is Him, because there's such a strong presence in the room. It's so quiet that you know it's God. Sometimes you just think it's your own voice talking. Each person is built different and each person hears the way God has made them to hear.”

She proceeded to list the ways God speaks to people:

A verse that stands out when you are reading Scripture, that might even bring you to tears because it went so deep

a dream, a picture that enters your mind, or a vision

seemingly random thoughts

“Sometimes I will say things and I actually don't know it is God's speaking. I just say things to people and random stuff comes out of my mouth,” she explained.

“They say, ‘How did you know that?’”

“I said, 'Well, I didn't, but you confirming what I just said means that it's God that has just spoken to you and this is a word from him.’”

Is it God speaking?

Nancy said that when she gets ‘a word,’ she usually seeks confirmation from other believers.

Barry agreed, “Especially if it's a directive word for the church or for a person's life, we would counsel them to get the whole community helping to discern what God is actually saying to them.”

He added that our primary way to hear God's voice is through ‘His word,’ the 66 books of the Bible.

“In his word though, it talks about what we call Rama (Rhema) words or words where God will speak to us today. Jesus says my sheep hear my voice. I speak to them and they hear me and they know me and they follow me. So we know by the Holy Spirit, which has come to the church at Pentecost, that we have this ability now to communicate with God,” he said.

“God wants to talk to us, but it always has to line up with the character and with the will that we see in the scriptures. The scripture tells us what God's character is like, what His will is, what His plans are, what our commission is - all of those things. So to me, when God is speaking, it can't outright contradict the Biblical text.”

He gave a number of examples:

God would not tell you to do something that is dishonest

Nor would He tell you to leave your spouse so you could be with another woman (or man).

God does want us to clean up our lives.

“He convicts us of sin, but it's usually for redemption. God is a forgiving and loving God who will speak that love and forgiveness into us and that's also a way in which we recognize the voice of God.”

Another test of the word is truth.

“The first step would be, does this person confirm it? Or does it happen? For example if I say, ‘God says this is going to happen in the next couple of days’ and it doesn't happen. Then I wasn't hearing God. There was a bunch of Christians that really believed Trump was going to be re-elected in the last election and then he wasn't. My view would be they have to repent and realize that they did not hear God,” said Barry.