Philly Thompson lives alone with his cat, Irving, in a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago. He worries about his weight, frets about his job, longs to get back with his ex-girlfriend, and wishes his ma would stop nagging him. To you and me, a pretty average guy. To Jesus, the raw material for a miracle . . . or two. When this ordinary guy stumbles into an extraordinary experience, everything seems possible, except staying stuck in that same dull life. Seeing and hearing Jesus right beside him rocks Philly’s world and reaches beyond him to his coworkers, his girlfriends and his family. Too bad no one else can see or hear Jesus there. Will Philly be rejected yet again? Will they just decide that he’s crazier than they imagined? Or will they let Philly’s contact with the Divine lift them out of their suffering and light their lives with hope?
As a small boy in Lincoln, Nebraska, I listened enrapt to my grandmother reading me children’s stories, such as The Little Engine That Could. I also recall the elementary school librarian who read us Winnie the Pooh, imitating all the voices. And I remember the first summer I was allowed to ride my bike to the library on my own.
Writing started for me in school. Teachers encouraged me to pursue what they perceived as a gift. For me, my imagination was a challenge as much as a gift. I found the real world so much less enthralling.
In my Christian high school, the English teacher supplied me with unassigned novels. I wrote the senior class play and served as editor of both the yearbook and the school newspaper.
At Houghton College, I majored in writing, including coursework in poetry and fiction. But I also majored in biblical studies and was persuaded to take my writing skills in a more “respectable” direction—academia and nonfiction writing. Remember that less enthralling real world?
When all my academic work led to no great employment breakthrough, I hopped from there onto that rapid conveyor known as the tech industry. Starting in the 1990s, I shaped a new career, eventually starting my own computer consulting firm.
During those years, I focused on raising two boys and cherished the role of doing the bedtime reading, including attempting all the voices in The Chronicles of Narnia series. I also composed a few stories from scratch for my attentive little audience, usually around a campfire.
I started writing again in 2006. Following a friend’s suggestion, I meditated on scripture by imaging myself present on a day when Jesus healed an entire multitude. That meditation turned into my first novel, And He Healed Them All. Closing the gap between the sparse descriptions in the Gospels and what must have been a rich miraculous experience enticed me.
A series of unusual events (ask me someday) prodded me to write my second novel, The Reign: Out of Tribulation. I began self-publishing with those first two books. My third novel, Seeing Jesus, expanded into a series when numerous readers begged me for more. As it turns out, that kind of begging is hard to resist.
In all, I have published fifteen books on Amazon, fourteen of them as installments in one of my series. I am constantly working to improve my skills and to better share my message with the reading public.
Anyone tracking my address could guess that I’ve had some setbacks in my life. But God has stayed the same, even as I evolve and have to start over again.
Now I am married and living in Vernon Hills, Illinois, attending a vibrant church and meeting new people. I work part-time on my computer consulting business, and I devote much of the rest of my time to writing and marketing my books, with my wife as my highly motivated marketing director.
I do not remember why I d/l'd this book but I began reading expecting to not like it. I think I wanted to not like it based on a preconceived notion that the person and nature of Jesus would be presented lesser rather than greater and then I would have to get my feathers all ruffled. I didn't get far before I decided I didn't need to defend Jesus so I allowed myself to enjoy the story. Once I stopped trying to pick religious nits I realized this was one of those books I did not want to end. The author did a very good job of presenting the concept of learning to see and hear God. My favorite line is when Jesus says "You really should read my book" . This is a fun light read and your doctrine is safe.
Read this book. I began it not knowing what it was about. When i realized it was about man who was literally seeing Jesus, I wanted to dislike it. I wanted to wield my theogical understandings as a weapon, tearing apart what i saw as inaccuracies. Then I remembered Jesus saying, "And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the earth." And I wistfully focused on the idea of Jesus literally being with me every minute of the day and night, as He was with Philly, the main character. I was humbled and broken with the realization that . . . He is literally with me every minute of the day and night. I don't think I will ever think about the presence of God in the same way. If I think and act and listen as if His literal presence is true, then I, like Philly, will find my daily calling and the utter peace that surely accompanies it. Read this book.
Wonderful, humorous and delightful, this book was awesome without being heavy or religious. Very thought provoking and informative for those who don't quite get discipleship or the ministry of Jesus/Yeshua. It humanizes Jesus without demoting Him. In fact, this book introduces the reader to an inviting reality.
I don't know why this book didn't get marked as read, because I did reread it here in 2022. The fact that I came back and reread this book after rediscovering this book on Goodreads tells you that I enjoyed it. Yes, the writing style is more tell than show, and yes, you can tell this is probably one of the author's first books. But the premise and plot and characters make up for all of that. I just adore how average Philly is. Like, literally, so stinking average and normal. Yet you can't help but adore him as well.
The author does a great job of portraying Jesus and how 'seeing' Jesus when no one else can would affect an average life. Like, for example, you can't look at Jesus when you talk to him, 'cause then you'd just be talking to thin air. As for theology, I was pretty cool with most of it. There was nothing wacky, nothing thrown out there. Pretty much, it was old truths stated in a fresh way. Of course, I don't agree with everything, but there were no major tiffs.
Also, the author was really good at describing human reactions and emotions. Seriously, it's a little like C. S. Lewis's ability to pinpoint why a person might feel that way. Overall, I'm glad I reread it and I hope to continue on the series if I can.
Jones is a great storyteller and makes you think about seeing Jesus as a visual experience. It was truly an eye-opening experience and I will read it again just to 'experience' it again. He involves real humans but uses them as if Jesus were living right here right now with us. I don't want to say too much but you can read for yourself.
Wow! The title didn't disappoint. There are many books people read out of curiosity to see if they measure up to their titles. I don't claim to be on the level of a scholar professor or hold a title in a ministry of Pastor or Evangelist. I will say that my hunger for the Lord leads me read many books on different levels. Even fiction provides revelation of truths in the lives of the characters in the stories. The author shares the Love of God as it comes upon his characters to the point I felt like I was there and desired to be a part of the story. Felt the presence of the Lord speaking to my heart that yes, this is very possible. "Seeing Jesus" captures the gist of what the Bible wants us to experience for ourselves. It opens the floodgates of possibility and causes us to examine the scriptures to release this same power of God in our lives. This even led me to tears reading of the experiences of the characters. I would strongly recommend this read for anyone who already knows the Lord as well as those who are seeking to discover His presence. Yes, I have book 2 on the way "Hearing Jesus".
Thought provoking story on how a barely nominal Christian would act if Jesus became suddenly visible and audible to that person alone for 2 weeks. The author captures "Philly's" shock, nervousness, and reluctance to interact with his sudden visitor initially, then shows his slow melting of his life-long barriers and fears. Each step from social awkward introvert to less awkward witness for Christ is smoothly portrayed. Miracles, conversions and emotional healing ensue. The book suffers, however, when Jesus "disappears" (at least in his previous visible form) from Philly. Without Jesus and His vibrant presence, the last couple chapters of the story descends into a prolonged info dump exposition of Philly's brief loss of his way, then roars back to an Everyone Lived Happily Ever After. Just...the story lost its charm for me once Jesus and his amazing presence left the visible scene.
"The Shack" brought a fresh awareness of relationship and "Seeing Jesus" can stand alongside.
My opening statement is a high compliment. I believe the author did an excellent job of showing us what relationship with Jesus is to be. It was alive and that is what we are to have, life, and that more abundantly. As was clearly pointed out we need to be free from religion and just have relationship. His word says that His sheep will hear His voice so that must mean exactly that. Excellent writing that portrayed Jesus as the Lover of our souls that He is. His desire for intimate relationship with us. This book stirs up a hunger to enter into what Jesus in His word has called us into.
Missed a key element ( admitting we need Jesus as Lord of our life and as our Savior) ) but was great food for thought. What if we could see Jesus with us all day, every day? Fun, thought provoking read.
There were a lot of things about this book that I liked. Being a Christian and follower of Jesus I understand the relationship part of the story. I talk to God daily and ask for and listen for his direction in my life. I felt that the fact that the character actually saw Jesus and talked with him helped me to imagine Jesus walking with me and being near to me on a daily basis. I definitely believe in healing, but felt that this book took it too far. I think it makes the reader feel like it was a magic trick that he could perform whenever he wished and I don’t believe that is not how Jesus operates. I strongly believe in the power of prayer but have trouble with the way it seemed that God healed on command. In the end, I’m glad I read it, but probably won’t be reading anymore in the series. It is not a book that I would recommend to a new Christian or someone seeking a relationship with Jesus.
Seeing Jesus by Jeffrey McClain Jones was a fascinating book to read. The premise is that Philly, a man stuck in a boring life, asks his grandma to pray for him. The next day he sees a middle eastern man following him around. It is Jesus and only Philly can see and hear him. I loved the way Mr. Jones portrayed Jesus as a man of compassion and humor. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. So grab your favorite beverage and curl up with an eye opening read. I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited. All thoughts are my own
Started out great but then it started getting into divine healing and hardly even mentioned the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ and not once does someone mention the Plan of Salvation, and sin is rarely mentioned at all. Ultimately I wish the book had ended several hours (I listened to the audiobook)earlier than it did. The scene where Philly attends church was so infuriating I skipped it and ultimately didn't finish the last hour. It does a great job portraying the Love of Christ, and I enjoyed that the book let Him have a sense of humor while still managing to keep him reverent (excluding the church scene which clearly had an agenda) but I didn't enjoy the lack of emphasis on faith, salvation, sin and the constant references to the characters drinking modern wine in the presence of Jesus without issue wasn't appreciated.
Not your usual "Christian" novel. "Philly", a nickname given to Phil by his parents who didn't do a thing to give him any amount of self confidence...thus, a nickname like "Philly" which seems somewhat demeaning. The only one who ever seemed to think he would ever amount to anything was his grandma, a devout Christian. Alas, Grandma had a stroke and lies comatose in the hospital. "Philly" would faithfully visit grandma and was at a loss as to how to communicate to his beloved gramma. Since she told him that she always prayed for him, he decided that the thing to say was to "Pray for me ", even though Philly was a "nominal" Christian, one who attended church only on special occasions, Christmas, Easter, weddings and funerals.
On his morning bus ride to his job as a computer systems analyst, he sees a stranger, an unusal looking striking stranger who starts a conversation with Phil. It's soon apparent that this stranger has supernatural powers; he knows Phil's thoughts, he knows what Phil has in his pocket. Phil asks him how he knows these things...The stranger identifies himself as "Jesus". Phil audibly converses with Jesus but unknown to him, Phil is the only one who can see and hear Jesus...This brings strange looks and reactions from fellow travelers. Jesus assures Phil that since he knows his thoughts there is no need to speak aloud. That's not easy and in the next couple weeks while Jesus accompanies Phil everywhere, he often slips into an audible conversation. This all, of course, is a result of grandma's prayer...that he would meet Jesus.
Of course, if you are a Christian, scripture assures us that Jesus is always with us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you". However, Jesus presence is spiritual and while we acknowledge His presence(when we think about it), it's pretty nebulous. But to see Him in the flesh and very personal is rather mind boggling...since we aren't as equipped to sense spiritual presence , being very physical beings and our spiritual eyes are not that developed...
Phil's life undergoes changes during the physical presence of Jesus in his everyday activities and in his relationships to others. Most importantly his own self confidence. I highly recommend this to other Christians. It can really get you to think. A delightful read.
I would look for more by this author since he has a gift...not only the way he puts sentences together but written with humor.. He has the ability to put you in the situation, to experience the feelings that Phil experiences. A delightful array of likeable (and a few maybe, not so likeable) characters. I guess if you could give a "moral" to the story, it just might be the importance of a grandmother's prayer...
Five stars isn't enough. I grinned from beginning to end while reading this fantastic book. It felt like I could feel the Lord's presence while enjoying this story. It saddens me when sincere Christians seem to imply that Jesus isn't interested in the intimate details of our lives. Well, this book reconfirms for me my belief that He IS interested and wants to be closely involved in every aspect of it because of His passionate love for us as His children.
Philly is just an ordinary guy, somewhat overweight, upper-thirties, and still single. He feels at loose ends when his beloved grandmother becomes ill and ends up in a comatose state in the hospital. Believing that she can still hear, even though she can't respond, he goes to visit and asks her to pray for him. Grandmother is a devout Christian and does as he requests. To Philly's surprise Jesus is revealed to him in a physical way and accompanies with all his daily living for a couple of weeks. What follows is a life of miraculous changes.
I loved this book, and while I could talk about some of the issues I saw, I would rather focus on the positive, since I feel it has a lot of value for anyone who has ever struggled to see Jesus as a constant presence in their lives. The book follows the daily, and at times mundane, struggles of Philly—a believable, and highly relatable, main character. What’s so awesome is the way the author begins to slowly develop and grow Philly’s character through his constant interactions and conversations with Jesus. Through these interactions, the author introduces issues related to rejection, anxiety and depression, healing, lost dreams, and forgiveness. There’s no earth-shattering conclusion or climax to this book, yet I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking to understand Relationship with Jesus vs. Religion, this book does a good job illustrating that.
If one keeps in mind that this is a piece of fiction and not a doctrinal or denomination text, this is a wonderful tale. What would you do if Jesus showed up? What effect would it have on you? What effect would it have on the people around you? This story explores these questions in the life of an every day, everyman character. Don't over think the story and enjoy.
I loved this book. It begins with a man, Philly who knows of Jesus through his grandmothers faith and prayers, but has never come to personal relationship with him.
The author, Jeffrey does an excellent job with his description of Jesus's personality. Our God loves his children and he longs to show it to us. I particularly loved when Jesus laughed. It makes me want to grow closer to him, while also longing for Heaven.
This was an amazingly unique and heart-warming book . I just have one compliant. I am Catholic and in such a gentle, loving story I really didn't appreciate the stereotypical portrayal of my faith. I am just as horrified as everyone else by clergy abuse. But really did you need to drag that in? And of course ma the Catholic is bad and the priest is weak. Even Jesus had a subtle jab at crucifixes. I trust that my God and Savior loves all who worship Him and doesn't need these subtle insults to be present in an otherwise marvelous book.
This book will be a part of me for a very long time == perhaps for life!!
Just when I was feeling pretty much like each day of each week is just like it was last week, and just like it will be next week, I have the experience of this book! I am not able to find the perfect way to describe how much this experience is s affecting my spirit, but I am excited to be on this path.
I am so jealous of this book. What an awesome story. How I would love to be in the position of seeing The Lord face to face. Spend time with him asking questions, feeling his inspiration. Know he will never leave his family. What a great time that would be. To receive such grace with such a wonderful gift. Love this book.
I laughed. I cried. I empathized. What an introduction to Jesus! This made him a real person and I was able to see him as a wonderful friend and companion. Definitely made me think about changes I need to make in my life. Great read. I will be recommending this book.
I loved this book. A bit of a slow start, but it got better and better. I felt the Presence of Jesus and loved it. It strengthens my Faith and reminds me of my choices to truly believe in miracles.
I loved the nonreligious way this book was written. We cannot put Jesus into a box. He loves us with a love like no other. He allows us the choice of having a relationship with Him. He does not force us! I highly recommend this book to those open to hear Him!
Seeing Jesus, really love the book and I’m actually going to be taking some of the ideas that Jesus talked about. My favorite quote from the book Jesus of speaking I didn’t come into your life to keep you company while your grandmother was in a coma I came to capture you wow. There is so much we can be doing on on our own with Jesus and I like the thought of just a passing tap on the shoulder and see if Jesus would speak to my spirit if this person had a need for healing. I did recommend this book to one person. The reason I chose this rating was that I found this book Applied to me and I was going to be doing something about it. I actually have had an opportunity to hear Jesus’s voice several times including the day that I walked into a church and found the living Savior
I have actually heard Jesus speak to me audibly and he even called me by my name. At the time of my conversion when I was 30 years old I didn’t know that God and Jesus were really real. I was never the same after that awesome experience in the church. i’m so glad that I got a hold of this book and I’m going to be more sensitive to the people who are around me who are hurting but hide it well. Joan from Massachusetts 9/10/2022