Psalm 62:6-9 - "He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strenght, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us."
Please accept my sincere greetings in the love of God. By God's grace I was made fit to belong to the family of the reborn and to have fellowship with you.
I was born in 1961 in the family of believing parents who have been members of The Church of God since it's emerging in our country. I accepted the Lord's call in 1977 being baptized in water, and I have been a member of The Church of God since than. After I had completed my high school education and had worked for four years in my trade, the Lord called me into His service. Being recommended by the than Overseer of The Church of God in former Yugoslavia I was appointed as assistant pastor of The Church of God in Tordinci. Shortly after that I was installed as pastor of CoG in Tordinci.
I moved to Tordinci together with ny family in 1986. Tordinci is a village 10 miles North of Vinkovci. In those days the population of the village was 1.100. It is worth noting that since the days of Reformation, since 1530 there has been a Protestant community in Tordinci, The Reformed Christian Church. Around 1930 a fellowship of people baptized by the Holy Spirit came into being. Since 1968 on The Church of God works and acts paralalel with The Reformed Christian Church and The Roman Catholic Church. My wife and I understood that God had called us and needed us in Tordinci. God has blessed us in our Church work. We began modestly in Autumn 1986. During those few years until the middle of 1991 we tried to establish co-operation with The Church of God members in Antin, a village 2 miles from Tordinci. Our joint worship and evangelism services were blessed by God. We rejoiced over those who had made the covenant of baptism and had given their lives to God.
By the end of June 1991 the situation became difficult in our area, both for the ministray and for the life in general. The war broke out in the region of the Republic of Croatia where we lived. The war quickly sored to about three quarters of Croatia. We were up against great odds. At the beginning of July we evacuated women and children from the village to safe areas. We did not have enough time to think nor to do anything quickly enough. There was a question on the lips of people: "God, is this really happening to us?" We were left in the village without electricity, without water, without telephone. Daily shelling of villages and towns brought the repeated question: "How far can human hatred go?"
Nevertheless, with the remaining people in the village I took services in The Reformed Christian Church until September 8, 1991. I had finished the last service at 11:30 on that day. There were 47 adults and 3 children in the Church when shelling came in from the neighboring village that had been a stronghold of extremists. 27 shells of diferent caliber hit the village. They all came in around the Church because they knew there was a worship services there.This was a testimony to us that God had been protecting us because no one was hurt. This event was reported in the local paper to. From that day on until fall of the village on October 25, 1991 we had prayer meetings in houses. During those days I took, also, several funerals of those who died or were killed in that destruction war. By God's grace I was granted permission to leave village on October 23, 1991. Two days later Tordinci was occupied.
From October 23, 1991, I lived in Vinkovci in the house of Brother Josip Jendričko till the end of November 1991. Then we moved into the building of The Church of God in Vinkovci. Together with Brother Josip we went visiting, during those days, our displaced people who lived in several places in parts of Croatia not affected by the horrors of war.
From February 2, 1992, when the situation in Vinkovci had become somewhat more stable we restarted with public worship services. In those days The Church of God joined the Humanitarian Organization "AGAPE" run by the Petecostal Church (Assemblies of God). We co-operated in distributing food and clothes, Christian literature and Bibles. So God increased the number of those attending the joint services. God's love opens our hearts for the need of neighbors and with it we witness to the world of the life we have received from the Lord. During this period ('92, '93, '94) God has given us the joy of water baptism on a few occasions. We were blessed in the joy of the saved ones. I rejoice, also, for the fellowship in worshipping together with the believers of The Reformed Church led by their bishop, Brother Endre Lángh.
During these years I was conforted and encouraged by the words of prophet Jeremiah (29:11) "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Beloved in Christ, in our circumstances we pray God to grant us the wisdom to see all we can do in Christ's name to contribute to the salvation of human hearts and to the glory of God. While I think of our task and of our return to the occupid teritory, back to Tordinci, I should like to say together with the apostel Paul, "I count not myself to have apprehended: ... but reaching forth unto those things which are before."
In our Lord Jesus we recommend ourselves to your prayers and advice to further His work and His glory. The peace of God may be with you!
The peace of God be with you!
Lazar Kovačević
