We must be careful not to minimize the persecution of our fellow Christians around the world. The Bible also says that the poor will always be with us, but at the same time it urges Christians to give food to the hungry and clothes to the naked. God can work out good in any and all circumstances. He can use cancer to confront someone with his or her own mortality and to bring that person to faith in Christ. But that doesn't mean we glorify cancer.
Persecution is evil.
It is a sin on the part of persecutors that should be denounced. And while throughout history Christianity has grown tremendously after periods of persecution, we need to keep in mind that this is not always the case. The persecuted Church is not always strong and pure, and persecution can lead to a church that is divided, demoralized, compromised, and embittered. We must be careful not to romanticize persecution. However, persecution of Christians is ingrained in many nations' systems to a large degree and is not provoked by individual actions.