The Legacy of Jim Reimann

Biography

“Helping Christians know Christ & His Word better”

Rev. Jim Reimann’s Brief Bio

(Please scroll down for Pam Reimann’s Brief Bio.)

• Bible teacher, author, and editor with over 6,000,000 books in print, including the Updated Editions of:

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, #1 Christian Bestseller Streams in the Desert, by Lettie Cowman, #1 Christian Bestseller

Latest Updated Editions of Classic Devotions:

Morning by Morning, by Charles Spurgeon (expanded with daily commentary by Jim Reimann)

Evening by Evening, by Charles Spurgeon (expanded with daily commentary by Jim Reimann)

• Ordained minister, and Bible teacher—31+ years
• Holy Land tour guide, leading 2 to 3 tours annually, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Italy.
• Speaker at 50+ pastors’ events and conferences.
• Founder, Christian Armory, Atlanta, GA—winner of Christian Booksellers Store of the Year Award
• Christian Booksellers Association Board - 10+ years of service, including two years as Chairman of the Board.
• Family Christian Stores’ former Executive VP & COO—facilitated 6-year expansion from 148 to 362 stores in 39 states, with 4,000+ employees.
• Former Christian bookstore industry consultant, serving thousands of stores worldwide.

Pam Reimann’s Brief Bio

• Women’s Bible Study Teacher—20+ years
• Mentor & Director of Heart-to-Heart Mentoring Program for Women
• Substitute Teaching Leader & Discussion Leader, Bible Study Fellowship—20+ years
• Hostess, Bible-teaching tours of Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Italy.
• Co-founder, Christian Armory, Atlanta, GA.
• Former Christian bookstore industry consultant, serving 300+ stores.

In Memory

James Gilbert Reimann, 63, of Atlanta GA, went to be with the Lord, 12/18/13. He was born in Chattanooga, TN. He graduated from Georgia State University receiving a bachelor’s degree in finance. He married Pamela in 1972. He founded and owned The Christian Armory, “1988-1989 Store of the Year” by the Christian Booksellers Association, was the C.O.O. of Family Christian Stores, the editor of “My Utmost for His Highest”, “Streams in the Desert”, “Morning by Morning” and “Evening by Evening”, and led 26 Bible-teaching tours to Israel. He is survived by his wife, Pam Reimann. He is also survived by his children, Jeremy Reimann, Aaron Reimann and Bethany Belt, all of Atlanta GA. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Taylor, Lillian, Morgan, Kaley, Aubrey, Sabrina, Teagan and Israel. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be given to the “Digging Deeper Fund” to further the good news, which was his full purpose in life.

From The Family

December 18, 2013

At 4:44 a.m. on Wednesday, December 18th, 2013, Jim went to be with the Lord and to hear the words he has wanted to hear, “Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant!” We know that God is completely Sovereign and has a plan for all of us, indeed fulfilling His plan for Jim. He “Ran the Race” and “Fought the Good Fight”. Our prayer over the past few weeks has consistently been for God’s will so that He may be glorified through all of this. Jim is with the Lord now, but isn’t it wonderful that he has already said what he would want to say to you today in his writings, Morning by Morning and Evening by Evening? The following are exerpts “From the Pen of Jim Reimann” in those two books.

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deut. 32:4)

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”. (Psalm 139:16)

Thus, when it comes to sickness, we must keep in mind there may be a purpose greater than our own - that God may be glorified!

It is not God’s will for everyone to be healed each and every time we pray for healing. If that were truly the case, we would never see a believer die physically, and we know that occurs. Of course, when we see a friend or family member dealing with a difficult illness, our spiritual nature leads us to pray for them. And that is what we should do. Yet we must keep in mind that our will always must be in submission to God’s will.

It is inevitable, if we live a long life here on earth, that we will have to deal with the loss of a loved one - perhaps many losses. Although it is not wrong to pray for God’s healing, we should always desire that His will be done. And there may come a time when the Lord reveals to you that He wants to take His saint on to glory. At that point, it is not only appropriate but also obedient to release that person through prayer to the Lord. It also may be appropriate to tell the loved one for whom you are praying that it is okay to go on to glory. Remember: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)

Many people fear death, but it is something believers should never fear. Paul makes it seem as natural and easy as falling asleep, and the Old Testament tells us: “There is a time for everything…a time to be born and a time to die” (Eccl. 3:1-2).

Others may say, “It’s not being dead I’m afraid of - It’s getting dead!” Yet not only is the timing of our death in God’s hands but also how we will die. And whether it is a painful home-going or not, the Lord promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). He is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

So many Christians fear death, but in truth a believer never really dies. Otherwise, eternal life would not be eternal. And if we think about it, do we really want to live forever in these earthly bodies, facing continual weakening, decline, and decay? Perhaps our thinking needs to be transformed regarding these worldly shells we call bodies. May we comfort each other with these words of Paul: “The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’” (1 Cor. 15:52-55).

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:20-21).

May even our death bring glory to God, for Jesus once shared with Peter - “the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God (John 21:19).

What a blessing it is for our family to have these words from Jim to comfort us. We hope they will be a comfort to you as well. Although these words are excerpts “From the Pen of Jim Reimann”, he quotes so much scripture in his writings. Therefore, they are really the words of our Lord that are comforting us. What an Amazing Sovereign Lord we have indeed. He is truly the God of all Comfort.

December 14, 2013

Jim’s health continues to decline at a very rapid rate. Hospice was engaged last week and they have provided valuable counsel and assistance. We brought in a hospital bed and Jim is asleep most of the time except for a few moments here and there. We give him pain medication every hour or two so that he can be comfortable. He’s not had food or drink for several days now, so we know the end is approaching. Please continue to pray for Jim to experience the Lord’s peace. Also, please pray for us to love and support him in every way possible in the time we have left with our beloved one.

December 9, 2013

We received all the test results late last week, and with 99% certainty Jim has been diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).  Several tests were run where positive results are indicative of CJD, and each test result came back positive.  There were also a number of tests run to explore other autoimmune disorders affecting the brain, but each of these tests came back negative.  This confirmed diagnosis is not what we were hoping for and yet we have been preparing over the last few weeks to hear it.  Jim’s mental and physical abilities have been declining rapidly, and the symptoms we are seeing clearly match the descriptions of CJD. As mentioned previously, there is no cure for this disease.  The only treatments are pain medications and sleep aids to help make Jim more comfortable.

November 19, 2013

Jim and Pam met with a neurologist today.  It was the first visit with this doctor as previously Jim’s evaluation and testing had been overseen by a hospital neurologist.  The new doctor reviewed Jim’s history and the tests previously ordered.  The doctor also ordered additional tests which will be scheduled for later this week and/or next week.  Most of the test results from the first round of testing are not yet back from the labs, so there was no new information from this visit.  Given the time required to process these test results, it may be several weeks before any more definitive information is known about Jim’s condition.

November 15, 2013

As you may have heard, Jim has had problems with confusion since early October. He recently went to the hospital for additional testing, and he has been tentatively diagnosed with a rare disease that attacks the lining of the brain. This is a terminal illness that is an extremely rapid form of dementia. It is not known for certain how people get the disease, and there currently is no course of treatment or cure.

Prayer Requests

We continue to ask the Lord for healing and restoration of Jim’s body even as we submit to our Father’s sovereign, holy, and good purposes for Jim and our family.  Please join us in that prayer. As you pray for Jim, please pray that the Lord would show him grace, peace, and joy moment by moment.  As you pray for our family, please pray that we each would have wisdom and discernment in how to minister to Jim and show him the love and support that he needs.  Pray that we will be reminded daily to stay strong in our faith, relying solely on the Lord’s strength, and to stay completely focused on Him, His will, and His Word.  We know that our Holy God is still sovereign over all, and we choose to trust Him no matter what. We know the days and weeks ahead will be difficult, so we thank you very much for your prayers.

Contacting the Family

We can only begin to express how blessed we have been by the outpouring of love, prayer, messages, and practical support for our family.  Your contact from literally all over the world reminds us of special times where our lives have intersected – some for a longer time and some only briefly.  But we know that the Lord had a purpose in each relationship and we thank Him for you. To continue sharing your love, appreciation, and support for Jim and Pam, you may contact them by leaving a post on our Contact page. Thank you so much for your prayers and support for Jim, Pam, and our family.

Statement of Faith

Jim and Pam Reimann

1. We believe the Bible—both Old and New Testaments—is the Word of God, inspired by His Holy Spirit. It is the revelation of God’s truth, without error in its original manuscripts, and is the supreme and final authority in all matters of life and faith.

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). “The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).

2. We believe in one Sovereign God, who exists eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). “‘As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17). “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

3. We believe Jesus is the Messiah of the Scriptures, the eternal Son of God, and is coequal with God the Father. We believe He became the Son of Man by His virgin birth, and that He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to God’s law in order to redeem His people.

“The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). “The angel answered [Mary], ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God’” (Luke 1:35). “He had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “He appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law” (Galatians 4:4-5).

4. We believe Jesus’ substitutionary and atoning death fully satisfied God’s holy wrath as the payment for the sins of all who trust in Him alone, by faith alone, for salvation. We believe by His blood, shed on Calvary, His perfect righteousness is applied by the Holy Spirit to all who believe.

“God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:25). “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:5). “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

5. We believe all are sinners and totally unable to save themselves from God’s wrath. We believe salvation is completely a work of God, that He sovereignly chose those He saves, and that His choice was based solely on His grace, not on any individual merit; any measure of human sincerity, decision, or will; nor any religious ritual whatsoever.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). “Salvation comes from the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him” (Psalm 62:1). “You, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth” (Psalm 74:12). “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29). “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care” (1 Peter 1:10).

6. We believe that Israel exists as a covenant people through whom God continues to accomplish his purposes, and that the Church is an elect people in accordance with the New Covenant, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles who acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and Redeemer.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). “I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen” (Romans 9:3-5). “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:3-5). “Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).

7. We believe true believers in Jesus the Messiah deny themselves and obediently follow Him. We believe all aspects of our lives are to be lived to the glory of God under the Lordship of Jesus.

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24). “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12). “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

8. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, His ascension to His Father in heaven, and His ultimate return in power and glory as the King of Kings to receive His people to Himself.

“Christ Jesus … was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:1, 4). “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3). “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Revelation 22:20-21).