More on: Why is this Brain Tumor in My Head?

Choose two Bible characters that faced affliction more than any others and you might come up with David and Job. These two would be my choices for exceptional affliction.

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​David was afflicted so intensely that by the power of the Holy Spirit he wrote many of the messianic Psalms that foreshadowed and foretold the inner sufferings of Jesus. James says,

​“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.”
(James 5:10)

He then singles out Job from among all of them:

“…You have heard of the perseverance of Job…”
(James 5:11)

Why did Job suffer so much affliction? Job’s friends were convinced it was Job’s sin. They spend pages accusing Job and urging him to repent. Yet the Bible’s own testimony of Job is,

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”
(Job 1:1)

This testimony from God is repeated later in God’s conversation with Satan. We see then that Job’s friends were mistaken (Job 42:8). It was NOT for personal sin that Job was afflicted. This does not mean that affliction is never for personal sin (1 Cor. 11:30).

The first post on this topic may be seen here

There are two possibilities why Eugene Clingman is thus afflicted with cancer and present struggles: Personal sin OR not for personal sin. I have sought to live before God and His people with open heart in uprightness and along with the Apostle Paul I say of myself, “I know nothing against myself…” While I also acknowledge with Paul,

“…yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 4:4)

This does not negate the fact of the sin nature; I am not suggesting that I am pure and have no sin to deal with. I am saying, as Paul was saying, that there is no specific sin for which God is dealing with me. In saying this I invite my brothers to take the Bible and as it were, lay it across my chest and see if they discover specific personal sin for which the Lord is dealing with me. I do not defy, but invite my Godly brethren to do so.

So Far as I Know: Not for Specific Personal Sin

If these afflictions are not for personal sin, then what are they for? When I read the Book of Job, I am struck that though Job probed this question and challenged God to tell him, God ultimately told Job (in so many words) that He is sovereign and does as He pleases and His purposes are above human questioning or demand for justification. God is sovereign. We can however discover what, in His sovereignty, He is doing. The following verses give us keen insight into God’s dealings with us.

“Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord–that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
(James 5:11)

– Note especially “the end intended”. God’s dealings with Job were not random or uncontrolled. God had an intended end – compassion and mercy!

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” And what is that purpose? “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
(Romans 8:28-29)

God is so working as to bring His people into conformity to Jesus so that Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren; among many that are so similar to Him in character that they are quite obviously His brothers.

“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
2 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB)

Afflictions we face and endure and not to be compared with the good being wrought through the afflictions.

Recurring Fear

Fear is often injected into us from the outside like a hypodermic needle piercing the skin. Indeed, they are called by Paul “fiery darts” (Ephesians 6). Fear injected from the outside has come to me form from time to time during these afflictions in this form: “These afflictions will not accomplish the good intended, original sin is too rooted, fallen man (Eugene) is too far gone to hope for real and enduring character building through affliction.” When fiery darts come Paul tells us to use the shield of faith to extinguish them and to also take the sword of the Spirit to fight back. These faith points and sword swaths have been my portion of late:

“Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.”
(Proverbs 20:30)

God knows how to do a deep work.

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.”
(Psalm 119:67)

“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”
Hebrews 12:7 (NASB)

Medical Update

Our return from Mexico was blessed of the Lord. We arrived home Sunday, April 15 to a warm reunion with our precious children. The next day I arranged for an MRI which the Oasis of Hope doctors requested I get upon my return; the MRI was done the next day. The disk and report of the MRI when into Priority Mail the next day and we are now waiting to hear from Oasis regarding this; the doctors are hoping for noticeable reduction of the two tumors. Our exit consultation with Dr. Contreras (head doctor and son of Oasis founder) and his associate Dr. Cesena affirmed what they told us previously – that the treatments received at Oasis (and which I will explain below) for three weeks are calculated to reduce and remove any tumors in my body. They also said that my situation is not a reasonable one for surgery, but they are not ruling out the possibility that targeted radiation may be recommended by them if the shrinking process in my brain tumors does not progress quickly enough. The good doctors told us that the brain is the least susceptible organ of the body to radiation; the brain responds with the least side-effects to radiation of any body tissue. Therefore, radiation is a no-lose proposition if they deem it a necessary path to take. We should know within a few days what their five doctor team has to say about my situation once they have reviewed the new MRI scan.

So what did they do to You at Oasis?

The treatments consisted of morning to mid-afternoon IV treatments which included: High dose Vitamin C, Laetrile which is Vitamin B-17, a long known effective cancer killing agent which is outlawed in the US; Vitamin K; and because of the swelling in my brain from the tumors I was also given steroids by IV to reduce the swelling. There was also a treatment referred to as “Ozone”. In this treatment some of my own blood (pint? half-pint?) was drained into a sterile IV bag. Ozone was then mixed into the blood. The blood was then passed by an ultra violet light on its way back into my blood stream. This accomplished two main ends: oxygenation of the blood and cleansing of the blood. Ozone was done every other day.

When I arrived at Oasis I could barely walk on my own power. I was very sick and weak. As I began to receive treatments I became a little better and stronger with each passing day. I continue to improve day by day. A good portion of my vision has come back yet I am still quite challenged in this area; much better than before. I bought a 27” monitor which helps a lot.

Return to Oasis in June

I will return to Oasis of Hope for my second round of treatments on June 1. I will be at Oasis for one week. Edna plans to go with me. She is a great help and comfort to me.

Your prayers continue to be needed, requested, and desired. Thank you to the many who have helped by prayer, kind services to our family and by financial help; financial – there are many additional expenses and my ability to work is quite limited. . You are each one a great blessing to us.

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May God keep and establish you and your descendants even to a thousand generations,

Eugene Clingman