Acts 22:17-21. Paul continues speaking to the crowd that had been trying to kill him. He recounts that after his conversion he returned to Jerusalem and, while praying in the temple, had a vision. The Lord appeared to him and told him to leave Jerusalem quickly because they would not accept Paul's testimony about Him. Paul reminded the Lord that everyone knew that Paul had arrested and persecuted Jesus' followers in every synagogue, and had even looked on approvingly during Stephen's martyrdom. Jesus replied "Depart, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles."

This is new information! We had already heard of Paul's conversion, but we did not hear anything about this vision until Paul describes it here. At the time of his conversion, it probably seemed right to Paul to return to the city at the center of everything, but Jesus clearly had other plans. I can just imagine Paul after going through his incredible experience on the Road to Damascus, knowing that he wants to follow Christ with everything he has, but having no idea what to do. The change in him is so radical that, I'm sure, he thinks no one will trust him. And Jesus confirms this - in this vision, He indicates that the people in Jerusalem will not accept Paul's testimony, but He is sending Paul far away, to the Gentiles.

God always has a plan. Most of the time it plays out slowly over the course of our lives, but at times of radical change the plan unfolds much more quickly. In the space of a few months, Paul has gone from killing Christians, to being converted, to returning to Jerusalem, and finally to learning he is to go far away and preach to the Gentiles.

These conversations that Paul had with Jesus are pretty amazing, but, as I said yesterday, Paul did not even think to mention them until it was necessary. That is the pace at which things were happening, Paul knows that his visions are not the main point - his evangelization is. We are also living in a time of radical change, and many people are receiving messages and promptings from God. Again, those are not the point, the point is that He is calling us to do something, and we have to get moving and do it.