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

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The Holy Spirit and Salvation

By Lary R. HaleMarch 24, 2013

Peter and John rest their hands on the shoulders of two kneeling Samaritan believers who lift open hands and joyful faces into luminous white-blue light. — © By One Spirit Ministries

One of the greatest spiritual maladies that has befallen the body of Christ today is the universally accepted teaching that someone is born again BEFORE they are baptized with the holy Ghost with its accompanying sign of speaking with other tongues. It is called "accepting the Lord as your personal savior," or "confessing Jesus with your mouth," or "praying the sinners prayer," or just plain old "getting saved." in any event, none of the above are scriptural except for confessing Jesus; which in reality can only be done by those who HAVE been baptized with the Spirit, because we are told that "The Lord IS that Spirit" (II Cor. 3:17). Rom. 10:9 was written to believers in Christ who were ALREADY baptized with the Spirit into Christ, and who ALREADY had "the word [of God] nigh [them], even in [their] mouths, and in [their hearts]: that is, the word of faith, which [Paul] preached" (Rom. 10:8). Nonetheless there is but ONE new birth experience that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to provide; and that is the ONE experience that joins us to Christ, puts us into the body of Christ, and enables us to "put on Christ" (I Cor. 6:17; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27). That experience my friend, is the one that these scriptures reference, which is the baptism of the holy Ghost, which is evidenced initially by the sign of speaking with other tongues, even as it was in the beginning (Acts 2:4). None of the aforementioned Christian traditions of the "new birth" are in the Bible, and none of them are legitimate. In many cases, people are just told to "take it by faith" that they have been born again, which is to say without any tangible evidence of the experience at all. If someone can be satisfied with that, then there simply is nothing that I or anyone else can do for them. Hopefully they will come under a true conviction of sin, and want something real. But in many other cases, people HAVE exercised true faith in Jesus, and they HAVE experienced something tangible, miraculous and real BEFORE being baptized with the holy Ghost. This is where the real problem is, because these people have proven that they DO want something real, and in fact have GOTTEN something real. I myself was miraculously delivered from drug addiction, alcoholism, a cursing raging temperament, and severe depression; in an instant, by calling on Jesus for these things. It was a glorious thing, but it was NOT the new birth experience. So then, What WAS it, and what is it that so many people experience before being baptized with the Spirit with the sign of speaking in tongues? It is the same exact thing that takes place before there can be a birth in the natural realm - conception. Hearing and believing the word about how Jesus came from heaven to suffer, die, and raise from the dead to take our sins away and give us eternal life, is the sowing of a seed. Jesus clearly stated multiple times that this is the case (Mat. 13:24; Lk. 8:5,11; etc.). The sowing of seed is what takes place BEFORE seed is CONCEIVED in the womb of a woman. That is in the natural process, and so it is in the spiritual realm. When the seed is sown into a woman's womb, and it connects with the right element, there is a CONCEPTION of life, but that does NOT constitute a birth. It does however constitute something that is supposed to LEAD TO a birth. When the word of truth about Jesus connects with faith in someone's heart, and they exercise that faith like I did, something is going to take place; and that something is a conception of spiritual life. It is real, just as the conception in the natural realm is real; but as the conception in the natural is NOT the birth, neither is it in the spiritual.

So where is this in the Bible, you may ask? Look at the Samaritans in Acts 8:5-13. Philip preached Jesus to them, and it says that they BELIEVED on Jesus. The scripture also says that these people experienced miraculous things as a result of their faith. They were healed miraculously of incurable conditions, had devils cast out of them, were delivered from sorcery, and had GREAT JOY as a result of these things. But in verses 14-16 it definitively says that they had NOT yet received the holy Ghost. Understand that this is the same holy Ghost which the scriptures says washes us from sin, and thereby justifies and sanctifies us (I Cor. 6:11). And this is the same holy Ghost of which the scripture says, "Now if any man have NOT the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). So the fact that the Samaritans believed on Jesus and experienced miraculous things, does not mean that they had been born again yet. And it is interesting also how Phillip and the apostles could have known that these people had not yet receive the Spirit, even though they had tangible, evident faith in Jesus. It was simply because they had not manifested the sign that they were all familiar with that accompanies the new birth, which was and is speaking with other tongues. If you can read verses 17-19 of the story, and not acknowledge that it is absolutely evident that the Samaritans spoke in tongues and were moved by the power of God when Peter and John laid hands on them, then there is nothing I can do for you. If that is the case, then of course you are welcome to disbelieve the obvious. But you will have to answer one question; that being, How DID Philip and the apostles know that these people had not received the Spirit, after experiencing so many miraculous things by faith in Jesus? Oh yeah, and you need to answer this one as well: Why did Simon the sorcerer offer money to Peter, so that the same thing could happen to people when HE would lay hands on them, that happened to the Samaritans? Remember, he had already seen a number of evident miracles wrought by Philip, and had never offered money for any of them. Yes that is two questions after all. The truth is my friend, the Samaritans were CONCEIVED by the Spirit upon believing on Jesus and exercising their faith, and they were "born of the Spirit" when Peter and John came and prayed for them (Jn. 3:5). Oh yeah, you might like to add this to the equation as well: Somehow EVERYONE KNEW after the apostles laid hands on these people, that they sure had received the holy Ghost NOW! Jesus likened his disciples and the sorrow that they were going to incur through his death, to a woman in travail with a child, before he left them. And at the same time he likened their experience that was yet to come, of being baptized with the Spirit, as the joy that a woman has after the child is delivered in birth (Jn. 16:16-22). They, like the Samaritans, and like anyone who has EVER believed; were conceived of the Spirit, but not yet born. ln fact Jesus had told them at the same time in Jn. 16, that they could not receive the holy Ghost until AFTER he went away, which dispels the common notion that the disciples of Jesus were born again while he was yet with them (Jn. 16:7). So in the case of the new birth, as with all truth, and as true men of God have always shown; the spiritual truths of God can be explained by the natural creation of God. And the scriptures are in perfect harmony with that as well: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made" (Rom. 1:20). And the false Christian traditions of being born again have only served to fulfill a very bleak, dark prophecy of the body of Christ today: "Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts" (Hos. 9:14). And unfortunately all I can say is, Amen.

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In loving memory

Lary R. Hale

November 13, 1954April 21, 2024

Lary smiling with his beloved dog Champ — Lary with Champ

Obituary

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

Remember him