Mrs. Spurgeon was fervantly praying for some opportunity to serve Christ, she was directed by the Lord to the establishment of what became a very central and important aspect of the Metropolitan Tabernacle ministry: the Book Fund.

The Book Fund had a providential beginning, as did most of Spurgeon’s benevolent enterprises. In the summer of 1875, Spurgeon completed his first volume of Lectures to my Students. He handed a proof copy to his wife and asked what she thought of the book. After reading it carefully, Mrs. Spurgeon declared that she wished she could place a copy in the hands of every minister in England. Quite casually Spurgeon said, “Then why not do so?” Without a moment’s hesitation she replied, “How much will you give?” It sparked an idea, and she prayed much about it to see if God might lead in the matter. Suddenly it dawned upon her that the money needed to launch such a project was already at hand. Susannah had a little habit of putting away in a drawer every crown piece that came into her hands. She counted the coins and found the amount would exactly cover the cost of sending out 100 copies of the Lectures. “In that moment,” she tells us, “though I knew it not, the Book Fund was inaugurated.”

The following was taken from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond

Last night we attended the Graduation of the 2006 class of the Peru Bible College. There were 19 students that graduated this year. That brings the total of graduates from the Bible College to 160 students. We praise the Lord for this training station that the Lord has allowed us to teach in and to train young people as they desire to fulfill the Great Commission.

While I was reading about Charles Spurgeon and the book fund his wife started, the Lord spoke to me about doing something similar for the graduates of the Bible College. My goal is to be able to purchase every graduate a Strong’s Concordance, a dictionary, and other quality books, as the Lord would provide, as they start their ministries. Books are very expensive here in Peru and many times it is difficult for the Pastor to have a library or even the basic tools to study the Word of God.

A “cookie-cutter” can be defined as something mass-produced; identical; unimaginative; lacking individuality.

Why is it that so many Christians want to be cookie-cutter Christians? Maybe it starts when we are young by imitating our favorite sports star or a big brother. The truth is that we would rather imitate someone else then be the person that God created us to be. You need to understand that God has a purpose for you and it is not to be like someone else. There was only one Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Daniel, one C.H. Spurgeon, one D.L. Moody, one William Carey. God has a purpose for your life and he has given you talents, gifts and abilities that he has not given to other people.

If you are to imitate someone else and be like them then who is going to be you?

Don’t be a cookie cutter Christian, be different, be you. Be the person God created you to be.

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