About the Author of
“God's Anointed Warriors”
Background and Testimony of:
Dr. Don Bell(Don)
I am not a pastor by profession, but I am a professional businessman with a deep, deep passion to see our Lord’s Kingdom visibly manifested in our country during this present generation.
I have been self-employed for the past twenty-five years, but prior to that, I served our country for twenty years in the Marine Corps. During that time, I spent two tours in the combat environment of the Vietnam War. Now I really wasn’t a God-fearing man back in those Marine Corps days. In fact I lived a pretty wild life, but there came a day when I was changed forever. It was November 6, 1979 and I attended a church service with my wife. I remember the sermon had to do with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and His desire to have an ongoing relationship with each of us. Surprisingly, it touched me quite deeply and as I was talking with some men after the service, one suggested that I go home and read the Gospel of John. Well, I left church that morning without any real expectation that the Bible would do much for me, but I was wrong. Early that same afternoon, I sat down in a hot-tub expecting to read a couple of Bible verses and then switch to a more interesting detective novel. So I opened to the first chapter of John’s gospel, which begins:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of me... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Suddenly the reality of those words struck me like lightning, and the Spirit of God dropped upon me like a strong wind flowing through my body over and over. Up to this point in my life, I had hardened myself toward God but as I read these words, my heart was broken and I wept for the first time since I was a young boy. My years on the front lines of the Vietnam conflict never broke me down like this; I thought I was too tough for “wimpy” things like the Bible. I kept reading and weeping and reading and weeping constantly crying out, “My God, my God, I didn’t know these things. Please forgive me.” I could not stop. The Spirit of God continued to pass through me like an electric current over and over, and I was completely overwhelmed. This continued on for twelve hours, until 1:00 AM the following morning. By then I had read through the books of John, Acts, Romans, and part of 1st Corinthians. Even though I had been in the hot tub for much of the time, I was probably quite dehydrated due to the amount of tears that had been shed. I was completely broken; yet overwhelmed with joy and a deep, deep love for my Lord.
Before this occurred the Bible was just another book in grandma’s bookcase, but it was at this point that I came to understand deep in my spirit that it was truly God’s Word for us. I’ve traveled the tough, sinful road of the unbeliever, and I do understand that until this happens to a person, the Bible will have little credibility. Yet, all that changes for those who have been truly “born again.” Those who arrive at that point in life truly understand that the words in Scripture come to us from a loving Father who calls us to Himself.
AN EVENT THAT CHANGED MY LIFE’S DIRECTION:
In July, 1980, the Lord woke me at 3:30 AM and spoke these exact words:
“The Spirit of the Gospel will come out of you and joy will be spread among the land”
I was a very young believer at this time and as I prayed and contemplated over these words I began to think that this was a call to the church pastoral ministry. A few years later, I sold a growing accounting practice and enrolled in seminary, where I pursued a Master of Divinity degree. Five years later I graduated, but during my time in seminary, I discovered that I had neither had the gifting nor the passion for church pastoral ministry. So I started up a new accounting practice in order to assist small businesses to achieve success in life. Yet I continued to search for my calling in ministry; for I knew that those words spoken from the Lord had not yet been manifested in my life. In 2005, at the urging of a close friend, I determined to return to my studies in seminary and subsequently graduated with a Doctor of Ministry in Strategic Leadership. It was during my doctoral studies when I felt the calling to write this book.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF A VISION RECEIVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO:
“During a period of early morning intercessory prayer, suddenly a trance-like vision appeared which showed the church in the form of a huge, gloriously white, round boulder full of beautiful light. I immediately fell in love with it. But as I began to walk toward it, I suddenly saw that it was being progressively consumed by a “black octopus-like demon” that continued to swallow the “light of the church” until there remained only a small remnant of the church (approximately 10 percent that was not consumed by this “darkness.” In the final scene, this “demonic octopus” was continuing to go after this remaining remnant and I knew that it would not be satisfied until it had consumed the entire church. When I came out of the trance, I was weeping deeply knowing that I was feeling the loving emotions of the heart of Jesus Christ for His church”
This vision has definitely contributed to my cautious perception of the visible church. The church of this present generation is under severe attack from the worldly kingdom, whose influence is rapidly creeping in and consuming much of the traditional church community. It appears that only a small, holy remnant will respond to God’s call to the battlefield during the catastrophic times that lie shortly before us.
WHAT CONTINUES TO DRIVE ME:
The twenty-first century American church is not preparing for those challenging events that the Lord Jesus Christ warned us will precede His second coming to physically establish the kingdom of God on this earth. The contemporary evangelical church acknowledges the truth of the future return of the Son of God, but it completely ignores the multiple biblical warnings concerning the tremendous warfare the church will face in both the natural and spiritual arenas of combat.
The Lord is calling many among His people to champion His kingdom purposes, on the spiritual battlefields in the midst of this world. My teachings are primarily intended for those Christians who possess a warrior spirit deep inside and are searching for their individual position within the Army of God. It is for men and women who truly want to stand strong for our Lord in the face of a world that is becoming increasingly darker year by year. It is for people who will not shy away from being counted among those soldiers in His army who will embrace this warning from our Commander-in-Chief:
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.