The Persecution of Christians around the World

I'm curious as to how Apostolic Christians view the persecution of Christians in other countries.

Why does the persecution occur?

Does a Christian who is imprisoned, beaten, or executed fall short of the ideal Christian? Should he rather be miraculously spared from those persecutions as a testament to the awesome power of God?

Is it ever God's will for a Christian to be persecuted?

If the Christians in other countries had more faith, or a better understanding of the Bible, would their persecution stop?

Are you familiar with any stories of Christians in other countries who were persecuted for their faith? What did you think about it?