Persecuted Christians

Four Christian orphanage workers were beheaded in Somalia.
In the article it stated: "All of the Christians were given an opportunity to deny Christ and to return to Islam. They all refused and died as martyrs for Christ."

I wonder how many of us professing Christians here in the West would refuse to deny Christ under any circumstances.

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." -Luke 9:23-26