2 Corinthians 11-13

N 2 Corinthians 10-11 Paul is giving the Church warnings about false prophets that can deceptively lead us away from what The Lord truly says and away from what The Lord truly has for us.In giving these warnings Paul is describing not only what to look 4 n those we listen to or look to for instruction & guidance,but also what to look 4 n ourselves...so we may have discernment about “incoming information”,as well as the attitude of our own heart/mind/life being “tuned properly” so we are less susceptible to “erroneous/spiritually dangerous information/leading”! Of the things Paul describes,in 2Cor11:20 he says,”If I must boast,I will boast of the things that show my weakness”.After this Paul tells about something(s)that happened n his life to keep him from becoming conceited,BECAUSE OF how The Lord was greatly using his life in the lives of others!(2Cor12:7,”So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.”).Paul had been the personal witness to and even “participant of” some awesome “revelations” from The Lord,which are the very things that could lead to his ego and pride swelling, and making him feel “spiritually special”/conceited in some way.This “spiritually special/conceited status” is what Paul is warning us about! Not only to make us aware of “warning signs” about others that could be misleading us,but also of an internal attitude that could numb us to the Truths that The Lord desires to reveal to us for our own GOOD!This boils down to any kind of arrogance(an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions).Any time we witness and/or hear “presumptuous claims or assumptions”(or make them ourselves!)we must check them with God’s Word and His Spirit!N Paul’s life The Lord placed a thorn in his flesh that brought his attention to this>2Cor12:7-9,”So to keep me from becoming conceited because of surpassing greatness of revelations,a thorn in the flesh was given to me....,to keep me from becoming conceited.Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”The Lord tells Paul,and us,to look for and embrace weakness(leading to humility)in others AND in our own lives....,and in this humility look for and seek a dependency on Christ(“so that the power of Christ may rest upon me”)->the FAITH that Paul encourages n 2Cor13:5-6 is found in his call for us to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.”We must test ourselves and those that lead&teach us...,for any conceit(excessive appreciation of one's own worth or virtue) that may be in our hearts/minds/lives...and then personally turn from any of these things,and toward a dependency on the power of Christ made perfect in our weakness!The Power of Christ is only found when through humility we turn to/depend on Jesus as revealed through His Word and through His Spirit,and through Prayer!Dear Lord Jesus,I confess conceit n my life of many kinds...help me to be more aware of it and then help me to get rid of it...and grow increasingly dependent on Your Power...n every area of my heart/mind/life.