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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Don’t Look Back

A farmer looks forward as he guides a plough through straight furrows toward morning light, symbolizing perseverance and forgiveness.
© By One Spirit Ministries

“And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 9:61,62). This is a really powerful and meaningful statement of Jesus, and many have overlooked the significance of it to their own hurt. I have learned from long experience, some of which has been grueling, that you simply have to keep going in a forward motion in this life, and especially in living for God. Understand that Jesus said we are NOT FIT for his kingdom if we continue looking backward. The simple fact of the matter is, you CANNOT walk forward while you are looking backward. You can’t see where you are going like that, and you won’t get anywhere, except to stumble and fall over everything in your path. The wise proverb tells us, “Wisdom is BEFORE him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth ” (Prov. 17:24). What that is saying is that wisdom is right in front of those who understand the way to go in. It is certain that the way to go in, to begin with, IS FORWARD; and we can’t walk wisely if we are looking behind us. There are many ways that we can be ensnared in looking backward. When the children of Israel were led by God out of Egypt, they began looking backward to Egypt as though life had been GOOD in Egypt: “And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes” (Num. 11:4-6).

Because the children of Israel were not content to trust God for their provision and be thankful, they somehow managed to forget the brutal hardships that they incurred in Egypt, which had led them to pray desperately for some time for deliverance. The wrong frame of mind that accompanied their discontentment with God created an illusion of “times were good in Egypt.” This also can happen with believers who become lax in “seeking first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” and thereby wax discontent against God in their heart (Mat. 6:33). One can look back on their life before they gave themselves to Christ, and remember the ‘good times’ that they thought they were having while in sin. Like the children of Israel, a discontented heart can give place to a mindset that somehow forgets how those 'good times’ hung them out to dry, and how they cried out desperately to the Lord to deliver them from a life of turmoil and emptiness. The cure for this spiritual malady is to simply “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works” (Rev. 2:5). If we do not, and we remain in a state of 'looking back’ at these things, then we are “not fit for the kingdom of God,” as Jesus said. Another common way that I’ve seen a lot of folks become ensnared in looking backward, is to not be able to forgive themselves or someone else for some failure or wrong doing. That is nothing more than an excuse to not persevere in faith and holiness, and move forward in God. If we are going to continue to dwell on something that we have failed in, and have repented of; then we make our own judgment greater than God’s. The scripture plainly tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I Jn. 1:9).

There’s nothing more to John's simple equation other than to say we move forward from where we are at, because that is what God is showing us to do by forgiving us. If we mean what we say when we confess a fault to God, and we ask forgiveness, then we should believe his promise and move on from there. If we do NOT move on from there, and we continue to 'look back’ at our failure that we’ve asked forgiveness for, then we must think that our judgment of ourselves is greater than God’s judgment of us, because it is his will and judgment to FORGIVE US. The same applies to not forgiving someone else for something they have done against us or against someone else, or maybe just against God and themselves. Jesus made it crystal clear that we MUST forgive those who do us wrongly if we expect to be blessed by God: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mat. 6:14,15). In fact he went one up on that in another place, to really drive the point home: “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Mat. 18:21,22). If we cannot forgive someone for what they have done, then we are continuing to 'look back’ at what they did instead of looking forward to their good and ours. That state of heart and mind surely constitutes not being fit for the kingdom of God. There are other ways that people can 'look back’ after being born again of God’s Spirit, but these are some common tools that the devil uses to derail the faith of those who are not continuing to “keep [their] heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23). These are really things that constitute knowing our ABC’s in Christ, but if we forget our ABC’s then it is certain that we will misspell everything else that we say and do, if you get the analogy. Amen.

From the Preserved Writings of Lary R. Hale

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Jesus Is All

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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