NAR Prophet Bob Jones Dies

Bob Jones, a prominent prophet in the New Apostolic Reformation movement, died Friday, February 14.Jones' prophetic words, given over four decades, influenced many leaders in the New Apostolic Reformation movement, including Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, Missouri. Bickle details Jones' influence on the history of IHOP in a video posted on the IHOP web site.In the video, Bickle refers to Jones as "a very important prophetic man, at least in my life, and in the early days of this movement." Bickle describes how Jones prophesied to him, in 1983, that God was going to raise up worldwide a young adult prayer movement led by prophetic singers and musicians in Kansas City. Jones claimed to have had 100 "open visions" giving him revelation about this movement.Though Bickle was, at first, skeptical of Jones--and even wondered if Jones was a false prophet--he became convinced that Jones was a true prophet when Jones accurately predicted a snowfall on March 21, 1983, after several weeks of unseasonably warm weather. (This account can also be read in Bickle's book Growing in the Prophetic.) Jones also told Bickle something that only Bickle and Bickle's father, who had died, knew--something very personal and meaningful that had been said between Bickle and his father--further convincing Bickle that Jones was a true prophet.Charisma Magazine's article "Prophet Bob Jones Passes Away" provides a link to tributes to Jones from Bickle as well as from Bill Johnson (senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California) and Rick Joyner (founder of MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina).What the Charisma article does not mention is that, in 1991, Jones was removed from ministering in a Vineyard church after confessing to sexual misconduct with two women. This misconduct included encouraging the women to undress in his office "so they could stand 'naked before the Lord' in order to receive a 'word.'"-- By Holly Pivec