Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
I first met Bob back in the 1980’s when a group of us attended a Passion For Jesus Conference in Kansas City. It was arranged for a ‘famous’ prophet to minister to us. We expectantly gathered and a couple of guys walked into the room. One of them was dressed in work pants and a white tee shirt with his belly hanging over his belt and I assumed he was a maintenance guy. To my surprise this was the ‘famous’ prophet, Bob Jones.
Bob went around the room and had everyone put the palm of their hands against the palm of his hands and then he would prophesy to them concerning their gifting based on the vibration in their fingers. Yep, it seemed really strange to me, but it was like he knew each of us personally.
Over the next several years I heard Bob minister many times. Occasionally, I would have a conversation with him and he would speak prophetically to me. Around 2000 things began to shift in my life; I was having prophetic and revelatory experiences with increasing regularity.
One summer while on vacation John 3:3 grabbed my heart, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I was certainly born again, but I didn’t think I was seeing the kingdom of God with very much clarity. As I pondered this I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You don’t see do you Byron?” I responded, “No Lord, not really.” Then He said, “I am going to teach you how to see.”
About 30 minutes later I get a phone call from my friend Steve Lappin. He said, “Hey Byron I am going to a meeting at Bob Jones’ house next week, do you want to go with me?” I thought, “That was quick Lord!” The highly anticipated day rolled around and Steve and I walked into Bob’s living room. There were already several people there. Some were prominent and well known prophetic ministers. I felt a bit out of place.
Bob talked about things the Lord was showing Him, encounters, etc. Then he would open up for others to share. Most shared, but I didn’t. Finally, Bob looked directly at me and said, “What has the Lord been showing you?” I almost said “nothing,” but then I remembered a dream Becky had and I shared it. Bob immediately gave an interpretation with a scripture from the Psalms. I was stunned as I read the scripture – it was the dream.
I learned two things about Bob that day. He highly valued and loved the written Scriptures because they reveal the Lord Jesus. Bob also highly valued people. He would listen intently to you. He was thrilled to hear even the smallest thing the Lord had shown someone. Bob truly loved people and made you feel like you were special.
That was the beginning of me getting to know Bob Jones, the man. I would sit in meetings with him and he would tell me what was going on the spiritual realm. He shared how to distinguish between the ministry of angels and the Holy Spirit, how to navigate the world of dreams, visions and trances, and how to behave oneself in the presence of spiritual activity, and on and on. Bob would always tell me, “The only difference between me and you is I have been doing this for 40 years.”
Bob never prayed for me much. I asked him a couple of times to pray for me and he told me I didn’t need prayer, rather, I need to use what God had already given me and do what He had already told me to do. Once I asked him to pray for me to receive impartation on what he shared. He asked if I understood what he said. I said, “Yes,” he replied, “You have it so you do not need prayer.” I learned later he was referencing to Matt. 13:19. I can’t tell you how many times he asked me that question over the years, “Do you understand?” I knew it was important when he asked that.
Over the last several years I was blessed to go to a monthly meeting at Bob’s house. Bob’s health was in decline over the last couple of years, but he was razor sharp in his mind and spirit. In the last couple of years he spoke much about hope and the Father’s love.
Bob ministered many times at our church, ate in my home and confided in me. I saw Bob a couple of weeks before he passed on and he was prophesying to me lying in the hospital bed. The last thing Bob said to me was, “Do you understand?”
Many Blessings, BW