From the Reimann 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 www.JimReimann.com/contact-us/

Thank you so much for your prayers and support for Jim, Pam, and our family.