Edwin Crookshank is a native of LeGrand, Iowa. He graduated from LeGrand High School and Harding University. Upon graduation from Harding in 1961, he went to Zambia, Africa, in November of that year. While in Zambia, he met his wife, Lina. They married in 1969. Lina is a registered nurse who completed her training in Hawaii. They have three children, one daughter and two sons, and two grandchildren. Tana, their daughter, has a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Andrew, the oldest son, is working, and Anthony is in school.
Brother Crookshank worked in Zambia for 16 years and left in 1977. During that time, he was instrumental in establishing Mapepi Bible College. The purpose of this school was to train local men to preach the gospel to their own people. Some of the men that were trained at this school are still preaching the word of God.
While in Zambia, brother Crookshank saw the need for the printed page. The African would read anything he could get his hands on, whether it be religious, political, or social. After returning for his second tour of duty, he had raised enough money to buy an offset printing press. Immediately, he started producing tracts and other Bible materials for use in the country. The demand and need was greater than ever expected. Since that time he has worked with printed literature because he knows the power of the printed page.
Another task undertaken while in Zambia was to write a simple English Bible Correspondence Course. Brother Crookshank, along with Rod Rutherford, co-authored a simple English course that is now used widely by TRUTH FOR THE WORLD.
After spending 16 years in Zambia, the Crookshanks returned to the States for 2 years before going to the South Pacific to do mission work. Their first tour of duty was a small country called Vanuatu. It had previously been a British and French colony, but it became independent in 1986 while the Crookshanks were there.
The Crookshanks went to Vanuatu to replace the first missionary family for the church that had lived in the country. While in Vanuatu the church was established on a solid foundation. There are now three churches of Christ in the country.
While in Vanuatu brother Crookshank started doing some work in the Solomon Islands. Periodic trips were made to teach the gospel, especially to those who had been taking a Bible correspondence course. Several were baptized and now three churches exist as a result of the work that was done.
From Vanuatu the Crookshanks moved to American Samoa where they lived for 5 years. During this time they worked with the Nu’uull church and made regular trips to Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and the Fijian Islands. These trips were always fruitful as brethren were strengthened, churches established, and people became Christians.
After American Samoa the move was to Hawaii where the Crookshanks spent the next 6 years. They worked with the church in Hilo and also continued working with the various congregations in the South Pacific.
In 1994 the Crookshanks left Hawaii and came to work with TRUTH FOR THE WORLD It was because of the great potential that this work has that has influenced their decision to move. Brother Crookshank is now in charge of the printing of tracts, Bible correspondence courses, songbooks, teaching materials, etc. He is also coordinator with Rod Rutherford for campaigns. TRUTH FOR THE WORLD is certainly the place where brother Crookshank feels he can use his experience and talents for the Lord the best.
(We’ll “meet” another Truth for the World family next week. Let’s keep these families and their work in our prayers.)
Psalm 26: Examine Me, O Lord: Does My Life Prove My Love?
“My foot stands in an even place”
This psalm is “an innocent man’s profession and plea,” or “self-examination
before worship” (Berkeley Version), or “the claims of the righteous” (Goodspeed).
The twelve verses in this poem can be summarized in three points: An
appeal on the ground of God’s justice and the writer’s integrity (1-3).
The psalmist’s rejection of the wicked and love of Jehovah (4-8).
May he have his portion among the friends of God (9-12).
Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my
integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip.
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. For Your
lovingkindness is
before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth
(vv. 1-3).
These verses are the APPEAL of the writer. There are two main
elements of the appeal: God’s side, and the writer’s side. On God’s
side, he appeals to Jehovah to “judge” (KJV) or “vindicate” him.
He is not merely asking for a sentence, he expects to be upheld by God.
He wants God to examine him, to prove him, to try him. He wants this
to be a test of his reins (his soul or mind) and his heart (his attitude).
On his own side, the author claims that he has walked in integrity, he
has trusted in the Lord, and he would not slip (or slide; that is, he would
not waver in obedience).
I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
I have hated the assembly of
evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.
I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O
LORD, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all
Your wondrous works. LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells
(vv. 4-8).
These verses are a description of the LIFE of the writer from
two points of view: his rejection of the wicked and his love of Jehovah.
Let us meditate on each of these in order.
His rejection of the wicked: He had not sat with vain people.
This means that he had not been receptive to their falsehood. This
is the beginning point—a dangerous point—where we all too often fail to
see the danger. Let us be wary of how much of an opportunity we present
for the ideas of sin to be planted in our minds. Then, he had not
gone in with pretenders or hypocrites (dissemblers). His associations
were important to him. Having fellowship with such people will indeed
reflect on us and God. Let us learn how to recognize and avoid them.
Then, he had hated the congregation of evildoers. That is, he would
not be a part of those who gathered together to sin. Finally, he
did not sit with the wicked. This implies full fellowship.
Many people today seem to think that God’s revealed lines of fellowship
no longer matter. This writer knows better than that!
His love of Jehovah: He claimed innocency (which does not mean
that he claimed to be sinless). He claimed that he could surround
the altar (or, go to worship) in this innocence. He stated that his
desire was to proclaim and tell (publish) the works of God with thankfulness.
A similar opportunity lies before us as priests in the temple (church)
of Christ today (see 1 Peter 2:8-17; Ephesians 2:19-22). Then he
claimed that he truly loved everything about the Lord, His habitation,
His glory, and the place where all of that can be concentrated on.
Surely he speaks here of worship! And oh how much we need to learn
to truly LOVE to sing, pray, give, observe the Lord’s supper, and study
the Bible together! These are things that God wants us to love.
Do not gather my soul with sinners, Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
In whose hands is a sinister scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.
But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful
to me. My foot stands in an even place;In the congregations I will
bless the LORD
(vv. 9-12).
These verses speak of the RESULT of the examination that our author
wanted. On the one hand, he did not want to be counted among sinners
and he did have a true view of sinners. He saw them as people with
whom he did not want to be gathered, as people who were “bloodthirsty,”
that their hands are working on mischief, wickedness, and sinister schemes,
and that their use of money is unethical (bribes). On the other hand,
he did make a commitment to continue in his integrity, he also humbly exposed
his need for merciful redemption, and he made a bold statement of his present
condition: he was standing in an even place, and he would faithfully bless
Jehovah among the people.
As we noted in the beginning of this study, the Berkeley Version refers
to this psalm as “self-examination before worship.” The reality is
that too many DON’T EVEN WORSHIP any more! And somehow, in their
stedfast refusal to worship, they want God to accept them anyway.
The author of Psalm 26 sounds like quite a man, doesn’t he? “Does
my life prove my love?” Well, the author was David, a man whose life
did include various sins. So how could he speak as boldly as he did
in this poem? The answer lies in his heart—he was willing to examine
himself and when he realized that He was the one who had sinned, he repented
and surrendered his will to God’s will.
Now, as we close, will you resolve to apply all of this psalm to yourself?
Can you say that the words of verse 12 apply to you at this very moment?
— Skip Andrews
Next Week: Psalm 27:
Let me recommend Someone to you: THE LORD
As you will see on the back page of the bulletin, our total contribution
Sunday was over $12,000. Our regular contribution was close to the
weekly goal, and the contribution for the Truth for the World building
was over $6200! This is truly a wonderful expression of your support
for this world-wide mission work, the church at Duluth, and the cause of
Christ, our Lord and Master.
Please know how thankful we are to oversee such a flock, and
please continue to learn about and pray for the smooth transition of TFTW
to Duluth.
The Elders
Worship:
A Day of Lessons
with
Dave Miller
(author of Piloting the Strait)
August 29, 1999
9:30 Must We Change Our Worship? (1)
10:30 Must We Change Our Worship? (2)
12:00 Fellowship Meal
5:00 Questions &Answers about Worship
6:00 Authority: How Do We Decide?
Verse of the Week:
“Rivers of waters run down mine eyes,
because they keep not thy law”
(Psalm 119:136).
VOLUME 1:27 AUGUST 29, 1999