By One Spirit — Holy Ghost Ministry

Lary and his beloved dog Champ welcomed by Jesus into a radiant garden of flowers, waterfalls, and golden light
Remembering the ministry and teachings of Lary R. Hale

Faith carried forward

By One Spirit is a lasting home for Holy Ghost ministry, preserving the teachings of Lary R. Hale and the memories of the people whose lives he touched.

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From the ministry archive

Reasons or Excuses?

Three companions leave a worn bag behind and move toward light through an open doorway.
© By One Spirit Ministries

There are a whole lot of reasons as to why people are the way they are. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and have been negatively influenced and effected in their lives in varying ways. I couldn’t count the times that God has allowed me to find out something hidden about someone that I found less than admirable, that gave me more insight into what made them like they were, and also gave me a more merciful and sympathetic view of them. It’s easy to see someone’s faults, but not so easy to see what developed their faults. I know one thing for sure: There’s always room for some compassion for anyone. And thank God for that because it’s certain that we want him to view us with compassion and pity. But while it’s true that there are valid reasons for many different kinds of flaws in human nature, it is also true that Jesus died and rose again in order to take sin out of the lives of those who believe, and to alleviate those flaws by his power working in us to do just that. The apostle Paul touched on what I’m trying to get across here, in his letter to the Phillipians: “… but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (Philip. 3:13-15). The same apostle told us again, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). And again, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). After we are baptized into Christ by the holy Ghost, it never stops trying to lead us out of the old and into the new. And if we do continue to follow after the Spirit, we will die to the old nature and grow further into the “divine nature” that we receive through the Spirit. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin… Being then made free from sin, [we] became the servants of righteousness” (Rom. 6:6,18). So then it’s evident that we are led by God’s Spirit to literally put sin out of our lives by his power, and to “put on Christ” and his nature by that same Spirit and power (Gal. 3:27; Col. 3:5-15).

The point of this writing is that things that were Once REASONS for our flawed nature, become EXCUSESafter we are able to identify them; IF we do not purge them out of our lives by God’s “Spirit of holiness.” And while it is true that God is longsuffering toward us, and has great compassion for our weaknesses, it is also true that ”[his] grace is sufficient” to cure all of our spiritual problems, and that “[his] strength is made perfect in [our] weakness” (II Cor. 12:9). So then we are without excuse to not move forward out of the old nature and into the new once we realize why we have the shortcomings that we have. The truth is that the elect of God do not look for or use excuses because they are totally honest about themselves, and they monitor themselves continually with that honesty; “keeping [their] hearts with all diligence,” and “purifying [themselves] even as he is pure” (Prov. 4:23; I Jn. 3:3). And if we fail to get something wrong within ourselves righted, and we continue to run over the same old ground with it; we simply cannot become weary in striving to overcome the problem with honest determination, and move forward in holiness. In fact, fainting in that very endeavor is what is responsible for most of the false doctrines that exist about this Gospel, which doctrines justify sin in a myriad of ways, and pervert the true way of salvation; which way is true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Heb. 12:14). So there simply is no space for self pity in the way of holiness. We all come from destitue origins spiritually and we all have plenty of baggage to get freed from. We’re all in the same boat, and the requirement to be pure and grow in God’s love and holiness is laid down for all of us. Not only that, but God has gone to the greatest of lengths to make the way for us to be able to do just that. Namely he sent his Son to pay the price for us to be able to receive the very life and nature of God into ourselves, which is his holy Spirit that gives us power over everything that once had power over us. So let’s finish up here with these two powerful passages of truth: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Cor. 10:13). And, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:7,8). Amen.

From the Preserved Writings of Lary R. Hale

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In loving memory

Lary R. Hale

Lary smiling with his beloved dog Champ
Lary with Champ

A Hero Finally Rests.

Lary Redman Hale of Louisville, KY entered into his greatest joy, the presence of King Jesus himself, welcomed by the cheers of angels and the saints of God on Sunday night, April 21, 2024.

What the outside world would see as the untimely passing of a humble, local minister, heaven saw as the triumphant finale of a valiant warrior's life. He fought the good fight, having kept the faith, and received what Christ himself called "The Champion's Wreath of Victory".

Lary was born November 13, 1954 to Marvin and Norma Hale. Being the youngest of his siblings ensured he had lots of time with his loving mother, from whom he undoubtedly developed his profound sensitivity, heartfelt sentimentality and emotional comfortability - characteristics that were trademarks of his life. He grew up surrounded by cousins and classmates that became his best friends.

At his 50 year class reunion he was overjoyed and excited to catch up with so many of them, smiling and laughing more than he had in a long time. He would often tell stories of how he treasured those times as a young boy riding bikes, shooting B.B guns and playing with his childhood dog Peanuts; all while getting into assorted harmless mischief. He cherished the time he spent living on his parents houseboat and helping his dad, a united states marine veteran, take care of the boat and dock.

His relationship with his dad was only strengthened in their later years as they watched boxing matches almost every weekend for the remainder of his dad's life. He admired his brother Gary for his athleticism and industrious attitude, and thought his sisters Vicki and Mila had hearts of gold just like his mother. In his teen years Lary developed three of his lifelong loves: swimming, cool cars and lifting weights.

Some people said Lary was part fish because of how well he swam, but Lary would correct them, he was actually part dolphin. As a young man he managed a health club where he helped multiple people lose weight and counted that a huge joy. He loved nature and taking photos of it, honing his skills and knowledge in cameras. His vocabulary was second to none and he enjoyed learning new words and using them especially in his writings.

Before he passed he still exercised as much as his body would allow and he longed to return to the ocean and the white sands of Destin, Florida.

Like most disenfranchised teens in the early 70s, Lary indulged in countless vices that left him empty and searching for more. Although his long black curly hair, loud clothes, muscles and muscle cars made him the envy of the boys and the heartthrob of the girls, none of these things satisfied his heart. He pursued a college education briefly, desiring to be a marine biologist or philosopher but found that this was not what he was missing either - he longed for true fulfillment.

Depressed, empty, and feeling hopeless, Lary heard about a particular beautiful girl he had a crush on that was attending a small church where the "Spirit of God" was changing people's lives. After wondering why someone like her would attend a church like that, he began to attend also.

After a few months, he made a simple prayer on his hands and knees, saying "God I can't stop smoking, drinking, raging or any of the other countless vices I have - but if you can set me free from these things, I'll know you're real and that you want me to serve you". The next morning Lary woke up and described the next few hours as "walking on air" realizing he was, in his words "delivered" and never going back to those vices.

This began his life long commitment to glorifying Jesus, the king of glory, for how he transformed Lary's life from darkness to light. Lary would marry that same beautiful girl, the love of his life, Fay Kustes, and they would have two sons together, Benjamin Isaac and Elisha Daniel. Lary's greatest joy in life was being a husband and father.

He was happiest when he was sharing what he was learning in the bible with his family, and teaching them that knowing God was simplistic and yet powerful - that God was not merely a religious concept, but a powerful savior on a day to day basis. As Lary made it his life's goal to find "the lost sheep", he would tap into his multifaceted creativity that went largely underappreciated.

Lary produced well over a thousand episodes of gospel presentations: self-producing, mixing, editing and encoding both a radio and television show. Between the two, he broadcast for over 30 years. All of this in the analog age, where self produced radio and TV shows were nearly unheard of, especially without any budget whatsoever.

Lary was an evangelist in Louisville and southern Indiana, being asked to preach and teach in multicultural and multi-generational churches across the city. The churches he was most loved and welcomed by were the African-American Baptist and Pentecostal churches that loved and welcomed his passionate, excitable and action packed style of preaching.

Once the dawn of the internet came, he immediately worked to have a website published, making his literature and gospel teachings available. Eventually he'd use social media to teach, preach and encourage believers all across the world. He would spend every night praying with and encouraging christians from every nation until the end of his life. Many of which saw him like a second father and all of whom greatly mourn his passing.

Even though he produced over a thousand episodes of media, taught in multiple churches, mentored in multiple countries, and had multiple printed works of literature, he considered his greatest life's work to be his two sons. One of their earliest memories is Lary saying "the most important job in the world is not preaching the gospel, it's raising kids in the gospel". This threaded through his entire life.

In his final week on earth, he reminisced on his life saying "I see my life as the highest success, because my life's work are my two sons, who I am so incredibly proud of - not for their natural achievements but for their love, humility and personal faith in Jesus that is not only evident in their lives but also in their love. Because of them, I know my life is a true success - and I credit Jesus for all of it".

His sons today see him as the most successful man they will ever know. He succeeded in loving them and never hurting them. Leading them and never controlling them. Being there for them and never leaving them. He was a man that would apologize quickly, forgive quickly, and always encouraged his sons to "get up and go from here". He succeeded in teaching them faith, hope and love in a world starving so badly for all three. His ministry lives on in them.

The lives of everyone touched by their lives are forever indebted to this humble, prayerful man of faith.

He is preceded in death by his father Marvin, mother Norma, sister Mila, sister-in-law Marlene, nephew Adam, aunts, uncles, treasured cousins, and his beloved dog of 18 years, Champ.

Until they are reunited in the glory of heaven, he is survived and will be missed by his sons, Benjamin and Elisha (Katrine), his wife of 30 years, Fay, his brother Gary, His sister Vicki (Dan), his cousins, nieces, nephews, his friends, and those that called him their pastor and teacher.

"The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart: merciful men are taken away and no one considers that the righteous person is being spared from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: he shall rest in his bed, having walked in uprightness." Isaiah 57:1&2

A life in pictures and film

Watch the tribute video shared with Lary’s obituary. It brings together moments from his life and footage of the man so many loved.

Video hosted by Tribute Slides through Newcomer Kentuckiana.

Original obituary at Newcomer Kentuckiana

Memories of Lary