Because of me you will be taken to stand before governors and kings, and you will tell them and the non-Jewish people about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given the things to say. It will not really be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. [Matthew 10:18-20 (NCV)]

According to persecution.org, this past week eight Christians were arrested in Shush, Iran, for the crime of “spreading Christianity;” a church being constructed by Christians in Islamabad, Pakistan, was bulldozed by angry Muslim neighbors; Islamic extremists in Somalia publicly beheaded two women for being Christians; and, in Sri Lanka, a mob of over 250 people, led by Buddhist extremist monks, broke into a Christian pastor’s home and beat him and his wife.

These Christians knew how much it could cost them to speak up for Jesus, but they also knew it would cost them a great deal more not to speak at all. In this nation, we’re not likely to be persecuted for being Christians or arrested for sharing our faith. We should boldly witness for Christ and yet few of us do. What’s our excuse? While Christians elsewhere are being arrested and tried for their faith, most of us are silent about ours. Our silence is a denial of Christ. Beware, we may find ourselves in the highest court, in front of another judge, if we don’t stand before others right now and speak of our belief.

All those who stand before others and say they believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me. But all who stand before others and say they do not believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they do not belong to me. [Matthew 10:32-33 (NCV)]