intent on doing great things for Christ. The early Christians venerated martyrs, the

dates of whose executions grew into a calendar of saints, and wearing a martyrs'

halo is still extremely popular. But martyr's halos do not come in the mail.

A great amount of persecution faced by Christians today results not from what

they believe, but from what they own, and from where they come. Missionaries in

poor countries lose their possessions, and sometimes their lives, because people

associate them with foreign wealth.

Other "martyrs" lose their lives in political conflict. But does having our vehicles

and cameras stolen, our children kidnapped, or being killed for political

"correctness," assure that we have "witnessed for Jesus" (martyr means witness,

Rev. 6:9, 12:17, and 19:10)?

Real martyrs for Christ do not wear halos. They only carry crosses. Most people,

even Christians, quickly discredit and forget these martyrs. Real martyrs suffer

persecution, not like "great heroes of the faith" but like eccentrics and fools.

Ordinary people usually consider them fanatics. Does that disappoint or alarm

you?

Do not worry. Reading this book about Russia's "underground" believers will

assure you that if you are a typical Western Christian you will never face

persecution. You will never have to be a real martyr for Christ.

Only if you are not typical - if you choose to be a "weed that floats upstream" -

you may want to know the secret by which Russian Christianity survived through

a thousand years of suffering.