Lorette Mae Judd

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A transcript of this message was kindly provided by Juanita Gearheart.

Most people think that you can?t be perfect. How few are ready to acknowledge that we as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to be perfect.

In the libraries of this world and tingling in the upper air of the universe are sounds of great words that have been spoken; words of Socrates, words of Plato and many others. Surely though there were never such words spoken as those spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, “Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”. If we would not believe those of the Apostle Paul; surely we ought to believe those of the Lord Jesus.  He said with such plainness, and with authority: “Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father.” (Matt. 5:48) If we read the rest of His words and all of the words He has inspired, we will find out that this is the thing we have our earthly probation for, to become perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect.  How may I become perfect?   It is that He left us something.  We have something by which we may know how to become perfect.  It?s probably this verse; maybe the most important of all the verses in the wonderful Bible: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Tim.3:16,17)

Anyone who really wants to be perfect, and will use the Bible that way, will attain perfection.  We all really do have doctrines.  The scriptures will tell us which is the correct doctrine and if we use them, as they should be used, they will unerringly reprove us and correct us for the things we are doing wrong, and know about, and for those which we don?t know about, there will follow that general instruction of righteousness which is what we all need to come into the path of perfection and advance therein by His power.  I read, “You can never do in eternity what you?re supposed to do in time.” There’s food for thought in the expression even if it is not correct.  Here we are living in our semester of school, to prepare for that great eternity which hath no end. Life is something. It?s not a grim thing but it?s something you should be very earnest over. There may be more truth than you think in the assertion that if we don’t do it here maybe all eternity will be different for us.  Life is real, life is earnest, and the grave is not a school.

I wonder how people can waste their time in our short semester. If we are willing for the words of the Master, not of Socrates: “Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly father is perfect,”  – I will tell you a story about some people who found out about perfection.

There were 120 on the green hill in the land of man?s own desire. They had a good time. They danced in the Spirit and they sang choruses; they laughed in the Spirit and enjoyed their experiences.  One day one of them said: “I think so often about my aunt Laura. She was a Holiness woman and said: „we ought to journey to the palace of perfection?”. A man said: “My mother was a primitive Methodist and she said one day that John Wesley said someone else said, “The other day when I was praying I saw the spires of the palace of perfection and something in my soul made me feel we ought to be journeying thither.” Another man said: “When I was a boy I remember hearing again and again, „holiness or hell, holiness or hell.? ”Someone else said,” It?s such a long ways and we probably won?t get there anyway.”  Another said: “Let?s look and see if we can see it now.” They all looked eastward as far as they could and they saw the minarets and the domes and spires of the palace of perfection. Some thought they should go. There were 20 who decided to take the journey and the others were going to wait and see how the 20 got along.

The 20 started from the hill and found themselves in the valley of decision. There was a great and beautiful archway.  Someone standing there said: “This is the plain of consecration.” “They read these words over the archway: “All who enter here must endure as seeing Him who is invisible.” (Heb. 11:27) Some of the 20 went back. The others went into the plain of consecration.

After awhile they came to another archway and there was a sign that said: “Leave behind all your possessions and all your positions.” Some went back but the others went on. There were many trials but each time they thought about enduring as seeing Him who is invisible, they felt the strength of the Most High.  As often as they were discouraged and thought this they were taken forward on the wings of the wind.  Soon they came to another archway which said: “Leave behind all created beings.” They heard an angel whisper: “He who thinks more of Father or Mother than of me.”  (Matt. 10:27)  And they heard faintly something about aunts and uncles and cousins and sweethearts. Hardly anybody passed through the archway of detachment. There were two who went on. How upheld they were in the awful trials and awful furnaces they came to, by just remembering they must endure as seeing Him who is invisible. They came to an archway that said: “Leave behind all things.”  One of the men went back and only the saint was left.

There he saw between him and the spires of the palace, flowing graciously toward the sea, a wonderful river. It flowed peacefully along to empty into the sea of self annihilation. He wandered how he?d be able to cross the river.  Finally, renouncing all things he saw a narrow bridge. The little archway over this very narrow bridge said: “The name of the bridge is exact obedience”. A sign said: “If your right eye offends you pluck it out.” (Matt. 5:29) (Well, mine does.)  If your right hand offends you cut it off.  He felt as if he just couldn’t.  The way was kind of lonesome. He thought about the “girl” he left behind.  Then he remembered: “enduring as seeing Him, who is invisible.” Then he felt he had the strength to step on the bridge.  Then a fear griped him because the bridge didn’t seem solid.  How he loved Him whom he had seen and he thought again of enduring as seeing Him who is invisible. Then the bridge seemed to get solid. By and by he was clear across the bridge and he knew in his soul that there was only one more archway.

That portal looked kind of inviting and when he got there, there was a man by the gate wearing a cap with Saint Eugene written on it.  This man said: “Go right on in.”  There was just a little gate and he had to get clear down to go through.  Saint Eugene said: “Get down, get down, you must despise your own life also.” The portal over the top said: “Death to self.” He was determined to get down low and when he did something caught on the top, and Saint Eugene said, pointing to the package on his back: “You’re just like a lot of others that can?t get in with that.”  The saint looked and on the package was written: “Some little thing that is dearer to me than my own life.”  Finally, the Saint striped off the package and threw it into the river.

Saint Eugene said: “You know you can’t keep a thing.  If you?ve got even a pin it will stick you.  You can’t keep even the clothes on your back.” He was just ready to divest himself of his robe. Of course, Saint Eugene meant he couldn’t claim his clothes, but he meant he could keep them on.  He was just going to divest himself of his clothes when he felt the touch of a hand.  It was a hand that was pierced through.  The robe he had on had changed to white; white as the driven snow, and as he bent way down he saw the prince of the palace standing in the light before him.  He saw the 5 wounds and heard His voice: “Be of good cheer, it has all been accomplished, there’s nothing for you to do but believe in these.” And He pointed to His hands and to His feet and to His side.  The Saint fell to His feet, ravished with His love, and there he found himself on the other side of the portal.

Just as the Prince was about to raise him up and hold him close to His heart, he thought of the 119 way out there on the hills in the land of man’s own desires.  And he hurried away to tell them, “Why it’s all done; there’s nothing you need to do; it’s all done; you only have to believe.  He found them there on the hills and told them: “It’s all done; it’s all accomplished by the Prince of the palace.  All you’ve to do is accept it.”  They were  glad to hear the good news, and he sped away back to the grounds of the palace.  Someway things didn’t seem the same.  He didn’t see the Prince.  What was wrong?  There was the palace; there were the blossoms of passion blooming in front of the palace, but things didn?t seem the same.

A man with a cap that said: “Senior warden”, introduced himself.  The Saint asked what was wrong?  I saw it was all done; and the Prince of the palace had provided everything; and I see I’m still wearing this white robe.  The Senior Warden said: “You violated the very first law as soon as you entered this place.  A dead person doesn?t do anything, and we’re all dead here.  You shouldn’t have done anything except the Prince told you to do it. I thought the Prince would like to have me let them know. But dead people don’t like to think; they don’t do anything. What will I do? Just reckon yourself dead. That’s what I told them out there. But they are the ones who shouldn?t because they’re not dead, and you should because you are dead. He touched the saint and said: “these scars, this one that you received in the valley of decision, and that one that you got on the plain of consecration, don’t they mean anything to you? Do you suppose that without these scars; this one that you received in the valley of decision, and that one that you got on the plain of consecration, don’t they mean anything to you? Do you suppose that without those scars you could enter in? Do you suppose that without passing along that way, they would have the power to believe the Prince?  Do you suppose they would have faith?

Then you reckon that you’re dead because you are dead, not in order to become dead.  Exactly!  But I want to see the Prince of the palace of perfection.  We don?t always see Him here. A wonderful thing would have happened to you if you hadn’t rushed away. He would have shown you all around the grounds. What will I do now? Just reckon yourself dead. How long? Why would I need to reckon, if I am dead? The adversary of your soul is here still. So you need to reckon yourself dead.  How long? The Holy Ghost starts to mortify your members as soon as you pass through the arch, and you reckon yourself dead, and yield your members to the mortifying power, and when he has completed His work, and allyour members are mortified and there?s nothing about you but the perfume of the cup, and the breeze from yonder cliffs of resurrection; then you may cease.  I wish I knew my next lesson. Dead people don?t wish.

With that the Senior Warden walked away and left the Saint alone to reckon himself dead.  About 6 months later the Senior Warden came around; asked the Saint how he got a long?  I have   discovered I have to unlearn all I have ever learned, and just learn Him now. The Senior Warden smiled and said: “You?re getting along alright”.  Later the Saint said:  “I don’t know for sure if I doeverything right or not, but the glory of the palace is fading, and I don’t seem to be glad that I’m here anymore. I don’t even seem to think about perfection. I don’t seem to think about anything except the Prince of the palace.  Open the windows of heaven over all this people and make them love the Prince and long with all their hearts to know Him. I don?t seem to think about anything except the Prince of the palace. And it seems to me that the great appointment of the Father of us all is just to become identified with the Prince, and just become one with him, and not to think about anything else except the Prince himself. It was a great while after that the Saint found out through the Junior Warden that the Prince had a wonderful Father whose name was Ancient of Days. One day when the sun was going down and its rays fell aslant on the passion flowers in the garden in front of the Palace, the Father came, and they were to have supper together. Everything else faded away.  Just before supper started the Senior Warden came and asked the saint if he had heard something? Yes, dimly he heard, coming from the hills in the land of man?s own desires the singing of the 119, the song he taught them: “We?re living in Canaan now; we?re living in Canaan now.”

In bringing many sons unto Glory it pleased Him to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through the things that He suffered.  Surely it is through tribulation that we enter the Kingdom, have the supper and the irresistible power to speak the words, and have the mind of Christ.

A  Report  of   the Memorial  Services for  Mrs.  L.  M.  Judd of  Zion,  Illinois Conduc t ed  by Hans   R.  Waldvoge l  ON May  31,  1959,  Mr s .   L.  M. Judd  of   Zion,  I l l inoi s ,   answe r ed  the   c a l l   of   he r   Ma s t e r  to highe r  s e rvi c e .   The  l a s t  sur -vivor  of  the  s enior  group of  mini s t e r s   a s soc i a t ed  wi th  Ma r tha  Wing  Robinson*  in  the   mini s -t ry  of  the   Fa i th Home s   of  tha t  c i ty,   he r   de a th  ma rks   the   c los e  of  an e r a .  Known to a lmos t  a l l  the  r e ade r s  of  BREAD OF LIFE)  e i the r  pe r -sona l ly or  by he r  a r t i c l e s   ( some  of   whi ch  appe a r ed  unde r   the  pen-name   of   "Aunt   Ma rg. i e " ) ,  the  de t a i l s  of  he r  fune r a l  wIll  be  of   spe c i a l   int e r e s t   to  many  in thi s   and  othe r   l ands .   At   Mr s .  Judd' s  expr e s s  r eque s t  thi s  s e rvice  wa s   in  cha rge   of   Pa s tor  Hans  R.  Wa ldvoge l .  A  congr ega t ion of  about  thr e e  hundr ed,   many  of   them  f rom  a gr e a t   di s t anc e ,   ga the r ed to  pay the i r   l a s t   r e spe c t s   to  thi s   ve t -e r an mini s t e r ,   June  3.  Inc luded among the  many mini s t e r s  pr e s -ent  we r e  the  fol lowing who pa r -t i c ipa t ed in the  s e rvi c e :  Rudolph Ka l i s  of  New J e r s ey gave  the  invoc a t ion;   Cha r l e s   N.  Andr ews  of   Vi rgini a   r e ad  the   Sc r iptur e ; Jos eph  Wannenma che r   of   Milwauke e   pl ayed  a  violin  solo, "The  Holy Ci ty" ;   Mr.  and  Mrs. Paul   Mitchell  of  Kenosha ,   Wi s -consin,  s ang  in  the   qua r t e t ,  "Ten Thous and Time s  Ten Thous and" ;   Ruth Brooks   of  Zion  a c -compani ed for  the  va r ious  mus i -cal  numbe r s   a s   well  a s   for   the  congr ega t iona l   s inging;   Anton Da rms ,   the   s enior   mini s t e r   of  Zion  (now  in  hi s   nine ty- f i r s t  ye a r  and s t i l l  ve ry a c t ive ) ,  gave  a  br i e f   but   be aut i ful   t r ibut e   to hi s   f r i end  of  a lmos t  s ixty ye a r s  be for e  pronounc ing the  benedict ion;   and Roy M.  Gr ay  of   Ar i -zona pr ayed a t  the  c eme t e ry.  The  pr e s enc e  of  so many mini s t e r s ,   too  nume rous  to ment ion all  of   them  by  name ,   and  the  manne r   in  whi ch  the   s e rvi c e  wa s   conduc t ed  gave   i t  mor e   of  the   a tmosphe r e   of  a  convent ion than  of   a  fune r a l ,   a c cording  to the  opinion of  many.   As  Chr i s t  wa s   worshipped,  He   Hims e l f  dr ew  ne a r ,   mani f e s t ing  Hims e l f  a c cording  to  Hi s   specific  promise  a s   given  in  a  me s s age   in tongue s   and  int e rpr e t a t ion:  " I f  you will  agr e e  to  be   looking  up ins t e ad  of  looking  down, I  will  l e t   a  s t r e am  of   l i f e   be  flowing  through  thi s   me e t ing tha t  eve ryone   in the   pl a c e   sha l l  pa r t ake  of.  Thi s  i s  My word. "  The  ent i r e  congr ega t ion joined in  s inging  one  of   Mrs.  Judd' s  f avor i t e   hymns ,   "May  J e sus  Chr i s t   Be   Pr a i s ed, "   a t   the   beginning of  the  s e rvi c e  and "Bl e s t  Be  the   Ti e "   a t  the   close.  In addi t ion  they  uni t ed  in  pr a i s e ,  wor ship,   and  songs   whi ch  we r e  int e r spe r s ed  throughout   the  me e t ing.   Thus   indeed  i t  wa s   a t ime   of  life-giving  bl e s s ing  and edification. In  hi s   r ema rks   Gordon  P.  Ga rdine r ,   edi tor   of   BREAD  OF LIFE, told how Mrs. Judd s e emed to di s r ega rd the  inc ident s  of  he r  na tur a l   life,  for   she   r ega rded he r  spi r i tua l  l i f e   a s  wha t  r e a l ly ma t t e r ed,   e spe c i a l ly  the   pr ivi -lege  tha t  wa s   he r s  to  be   one  of  " tha t   r e a l ly  br i l l i ant   cons t e l l a -t ion  of   mini s t e r s "  -Elde r   and 4 Mrs.  Eugene   Brooks ,   Mr.  and Mrs.  George   A.  Mitchell,  Mr s .  Eva   Legge t t ,   and  Mrs.  Ma r tha  Wing Rob:nson.  "For   a l l   of   us   who  a r e   s t i l l  in  thi s   woe ful   e a r th,   we  ought  to  t ake   inventory  today, "   dec l a r ed  Pa s tor   Hans   Wa ldvoge l  in  hi s   ma s t e r ful  t r ibut e  to Mrs. Judd  and  cha l l enging  s e rmon.  "We  all  ought  to  r a i s e  our  Ebe -nezer.  We   ought  to  smi t e  upon our  bosoms  and we  ought  to a sk our s e lve s   a  ve ry  pe r t inent   and holy  que s t ion:   'Wha t   have   we  done   wi th  the   bl e s s ing  tha t  we  have  rece:'ved through Mrs. Judd and  through  all  thi s   cons t e l l a -t ion  of   s a int s   tha t   we r e   ment ioned ?' "When  God  s ent   Hi s   gr e a t  vessel,  Mrs.  Robinson,   to  thi s  c i ty,   He   s ent   he r   wi th  a  ma r -ve lous  me s s age ,  and a round he r ,  God  appoint ed  l e s s e r   l ight s .  And,  a s   we   he a rd  awhi l e   ago, they  formed  a  ma rve lous   cons t e l l a t ion in the  sky of  thi s  l a s t  gene r a t ion  tha t   i s   doomed  for  de s t ruc t ion  exc ept   they  r epent .  They  a l l   s ent   for th  tha t   s ame  ma rve lous   l ight .   Many  didn' t  follow tha t  l ight ,   but  thos e  who followed  have   found  the   Sun  of  r ight eousne s s .   Tha t ' s   my  joy today.  "Beloved,  when  God  brought  me into thi s  c i ty and into touch wi th Mrs.  Judd and Mrs.  Robinson  and  Elde r  Brooks   and Mrs. Brooks  and a l l  thi s  cons t e l l a t ion,  I  wa s   in  da rkne s s ,   I  wa s   flounde r ing.   God  wa s   beginning  to call me  into the  mini s t ry.  I t  wa s  an uncha r t ed cour s e  for  me. God wa s   c a l l ing  me   into  a  wa r f a r e  wi th enemi e s  tha t  we r e  not  c a r -nal,  but   pr inc ipa l i t i e s   and  powe r s   in  he avenly  places.  I  soon di s cove r ed  some thing.   I  found out   tha t   he r e   wa s   the  Word  of  the   l iving  God  in  e a r then  vessels,  spoken  ove r  l ips   of  clay. " I   am  so  gl ad  to  know  tha t  God does spe ak ove r  l ips  of  men. He   ha s   neve r  told me   anything tha t ' s   not   in  the   Bible.  But  when  God  spe aks   through  the  powe r   of   the   Holy  Ghos t ,   He  Bread of  Life, July,  1959 conf i rms   the   Bible.  He   make s  i t  live  in  your   soul.  He   make s  i t  to  be come  mor e   personal. We  a l l   have   s tudi ed  the   Bible.  The  r i ch man had s tudi ed Moses,  but  i t   neve r   oc cur r ed  to  him  tha t  he  ought  to obey the  commands  of  Moses,  whi ch,   i f  a  man obey, he  sha l l  l ive   in them.  "And i t  wa s  a  ve ry int e r e s t ing expe r i enc e  for  me  to make  when I  f i r s t   got   in  touch  wi th  Mr s .  Judd.   Somehow God us ed Mrs. Judd pa r t i cul a r ly to me,  pe r sona l ly.   One t ime  I  wa s  in a  home  and  Mrs.  Judd  wa s   the r e .   We  we r e   a l l   s e a t ed  a round  a  t abl e  and  pr e s ent ly  God  began  to spe ak.   When  I  he a rd  people ge t t ing  wonde r ful   me s s age s ,   I s a id,   " I  wonde r  i f  thi s   i s   r e a l . "  ( I   had  s e en  so  much  f a l s e .   I had s e en f ana t i c i sm.   I  had me t  prophe t s   who  proc l a imed  thems e lve s   to  be   prophe t s . )   'God,  I am  going  to  put   out  my  fleece. The  Bibl e  s ays ,  "Whom the  Lord love th He  chasteneth." , "Eve rybody  got   a  wonde r ful  me s s age ,   but   do  you  know,  I wa s   the   l a s t   one  to  ge t   spoken to by the  Lord,   and God thr e a t -ened  me   wi th  de a th  i f   I  didn' t  ge t   down?   St r ange ,   I  wa s   the  only  one.  But   thank  God  for  Mr s .   Judd.   She   wa s   f a i thful ly de l ive r ing  to  me,  not   he r   own words ,   but  the  words  of  the  living God.  I t  made   me  so  happy and  i t   made   me   so  s ad  a t   one  t ime - s ad,   be c aus e   God  had  to cha s t en  me  l ike   tha t ,   and  happy,   be c aus e   now  I  knew  i t  wa s  God tha t  spoke  f rom  high he aven. "Af t e r  tha t ,   i t  wa s  my  pr ivi -l ege  to pr ay wi th the s e   vessels, pa r t i cul a r ly wi th Mrs.  Judd,   e s -pe c i a l ly  a f t e r  God  had  s ent  me  to Brooklyn.   God  us ed thi s  pr e -c ious   ve s s e l   aga in  and  aga in  to spe ak to me  words  of  fire. Would to  God  eve ry  theologi c a l   s emi -na ry  had  such t e a che r s !   Would to  God  eve ry  Bibl e   s chool   had such t e a che r s !  "The   Apos t l e   Paul   s a id,   'We  have   thi s   t r e a sur e   in  e a r then ve s s e l s ,   tha t   the   exc e l l ency  of  the   powe r   may  be  of   God,  and not   of   us . '   Some   peopl e   l ike   to c r i t i c i z e   the   e a r then  ve s s e l s .  They live c los e  to them and they s e e   the   f aul t s   and they c r i t i c i z e  the   inf i rmi t i e s   and  the   we akne s s e s   and the  l a ck  of  c apa c i ty.  Tha t   i s   wha t   happened  to  the  Apos t l e   Paul ,   and  a l l   tha t  we r e  in  As i a  we r e   turned  away  f rom him,   but  wr i t ing to the  The s s a -loni ans ,   he   s ays ,   'We   c e a s e   not  to give  thanks  for  you,   be c aus e ,  when you he a rd the  word of  God of  us ,   you  r e c e ived i t  not  a s  the  word  of   men,   but   a s   i t   i s   in t ruth,  the  word of  God. '  "Be loved,   we  ought   to  s t and he r e   today  and  s e a r ch  our  he a r t s  l ike  the   r i ch man in  hell. I f  you  had l i s t ened to  the  word of  God ins t e ad of  c r i t i c i z ing the  ve s s e l !   I f  you  had  r e cogni z ed the   day  of   your   vi s i t a t ion!   I t rus t  we   have .   I  t rus t  we   know tha t  the r e  i s  but  one  way .