Cross – “an instrument of torturous and painful execution in which a person was either tied or nailed to a wooden cross and left to hang until they died.” When we think of the cross our minds often go to Jesus, our Saviour who died upon the cross to pay our sin debt so that we can be forgiven of our sins and be saved. The truth is, we should never forget what Jesus done for us upon that cross. But there is another truth taught in the Bible that is often overlooked and that is, every believer in Christ Jesus has a cross to bear in order to be a disciple of Jesus. One can be saved but not be a disciple because the word disciple means “one who follows the teachings of another.” To be a disciple of Christ you must take up your cross and follow the teachings of Jesus in the Word of God. A cross is an instrument of execution and death; therefore, to take up your cross you must die to yourself. A.W. Tozer said this on what it means to take up our cross and follow Jesus. “A man who is crucified only faces one way. A man who is crucified is not going back. A man who is crucified has no further plans of his own.” What this means for you is, that you must consider yourself and your will and your ambitions, and your desires, and your purposes, as minor and unimportant compared to what the Lord wants in your life. (Luke :23), “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”