Kristina Cornell: NO OTHER NAME — Salvation

Have you ever been given a special name from someone who, when they use your correct name, it sounds odd?

My neices have a name for me, and when they say, “Aunt Kristina”, it feels less amorous. I have grown to LOVE the name they have given to me: “Aunt TT”. (I guess Kristina is hard to say when you are little.)

Then there is this one, when Bella says: “Mom, I love you.” Oh, my goodness, I live to hear those words. Being called “mom” is music to my heart. It is amazing how special one can feel, just by hearing a familiar voice call their name, even when it is not one’s proper name.

Isabella, my daughter, and I were talking about the Lord and how incredibly good He has been to us. She said, “Mom, the Holy Spirit is dealing with me about a topic and I think you should write a series on it.”

I am always intrigued by Bella hearing God’s voice in her heart.

She said, “I think you should call it ‘No Other Name,’ and it should remind people of all the things that God is. He is salvation, He is healing, He is our deliverer, He is our ever-present help in time of trouble…,” she continued.

Now, hearing my baby girl growing in grace is more than I can handle sometimes. I was so blessed by our conversation that I got chills. It was definitely the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit that was leading this child. I prayed about this series. I prayed over this series. Today, we will begin our series on ‘No Other Name.’

In the Book of Acts, Peter and John were before the council telling them that Jesus Christ, the man whom they crucified, was now whole and that Jesus was in fact “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” Of course, that was a reference to the Psalms and the prophesy of Isaiah.

Then they proceeded with “And there is salvation in no one else;  for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be  saved.”

Can you even imagine how Peter and John must have felt? Verses five and six tell us that after being held overnight in jail, they were standing before rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from
the high priest’s family. They were performing miracles in Jesus’ name and the leaders of Jerusalem were not happy. When questioned, they replied with the afore mentioned verses.

The scripture goes on to tell us that though the leadership knew these men were the real deal, they did not know what to do with Peter and John because the 5,000 plus people that were gathering believed in Jesus because of these miracles.

The leaders in Jerusalem decided that it would be best if Peter and John did not speak in or of the name of Jesus anymore. The men refused. The elders released the two men and they
returned to their people. The people began lifting their voices to God by repeating the Psalms of David.

Then they said it!

Such a powerful statement, which I believe brought on the next event.

With unabashed conviction, they said (verses 29 and 30) “And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, as You  stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant
Jesus.”

Now in verse 31, it is about to get real. This is where we see their obedience and faith start to shake it up.

“After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Oh, the name of Jesus!

It stirs the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the living God is moved by praying in the name of Jesus.

John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Rom 10:9: “that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’  and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Phil 2:10-11:”so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.…”

The name of Jesus touches the very heart of God. Just as we love to hear our names called by the people whom we love, so does God. He wants to hear us pray in the name of Jesus, to receive salvation through the name of Jesus, to walk in power because of the name of Jesus.

I pray that the beginning of this series, “No Other Name,” you will see that the name of Jesus first and foremost means salvation.

I pray that if you do not know Him as your Lord, your Savior, that you will pray a prayer of repentance, in Jesus’ name!

His blood was spilled for our
atonement, and when we call out to Him, His blood covers every sin. Even if it is just a whisper, at the name of Jesus, salvation is yours!

By Kristina Cornell

“…I have been delivered so many times by the hand of God that any creativity that I have I only want to give back to Him. I really have nothing else to say, as I have learned that I have nothing of significance to offer of myself. I am just like everyone else, in need of a Savior. I write from my heart, I write devotionals, stories, songs, messages, even starting on a book, and all I have to offer is Jesus and what He has done in my life!” — Kristina Cornell. Visit her website at www.tellthemministries.net.

You can find out more about Kristina on Facebook HERE.