Dear Shelva,

My first comment on your dream is a comment for us all as we seek to interpret our dreams or those of others. That is, our dreams can have numerous origins. Obviously God speaks to us through our dreams (there's much Biblical precedent for that), but so does the enemy. Without over-spiritualizing things it is also true that our own fears/insecurities (soulish worries) and plain old indigestion (spicy, irritating foods with adverse impact on serotonin levels and other neurotransmitters) can make manifest some scary dreams. I believe that if you awake with a spirit of fear (fear towards man in the venacular sense Not a fear of God) it probably does not have it's origin with God. One exception being that if along with the fear comes a mode of deliverance (solution to the problem, cry for repentance, etc.). The Holy Spirit does not leave us scared witless! I would recommend that you seek the Lord for guidance regarding the dream.

Check this out
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Now it is however possible that we as Christians in the US may face hardships (due to some regional/National devastation such as Eze 38) pre-tribulation. However before martyrdom as described in Tribulation can occur the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse or the first 4 seals of the scroll must transpire. Christ owns the title deed of the earth and has sole authority regarding when these seals are broken - He is very much in control. Death (the pale horse rider) and Hades are given authority or power by none other than Christ to "kill by sword, famine and plague" (Rev 6:8). One-fourth of the population will die from these causes. The issue of martyrdom steps in only at the fifth seal.

Certainly their are Christians today in North Korea, Sudan, Arab states etc. that are martyred for their faith. Christians living from 100-312 A.D. faced some of history's worst persecution. This was typified by the Revelation Church of Smyrna. They were admonished in Rev 2:10 to "Be faithful , even to the point of death". If we must face martyrdom however let's remember Paul's words in Romans:

Romans 8: 35-38
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long;  we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Christ,
 

Sandy
email: sandy.curtis@tx.rr.com