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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Two Witnesses, Not One

Peter watches Cornelius and his household pray with quiet wonder in a Roman courtyard, their faces lifted into soft white light beneath a pale dove.
© By One Spirit Ministries

Today I would like to focus on the following words of Jesus, and look at what they mean to us: “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true" (Jn. 5:31,32). And once again: "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (Jn. 8:17,18). It’s evident by what we have just read that Jesus did not try to authenticate who he was on his own. He was dependent on his father’s witness of him, because as he alluded to, the law said that nothing regarding divine judgment could be established by the mouth of one witness alone (Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; Deut. 19:15). Now to see what this means to us, it must be first understood that divine judgment works both ways; against a person, and for a person. One example that comes to mind is when Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchanezzar and Babylon in the days of Jeremiah. God executed judgment against Judah and Jerusalem because they did not take heed to his word by Jeremiah. But God also executed judgment for Jeremiah by putting it in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar to instruct his chief officer to grant to Jeremiah to do whatever pleased him, whether to go to Babylon freely, or to stay in Jerusalem freely (Jer. 39:11; Jer. 40:1-4). There are plenty of other examples, but that one will suffice to make the point that judgment goes both ways. And the point of this article is to show that God has not left in the hands of men to determine who HAS been, and who has not been born again into his kingdom. Even as Jesus had to have the witness of his Father, who spoke from heaven when he was baptized by John, so we must have a heavenly witness to authenticate our born again experience. Many others claimed to believe in Jesus for who he was, but he wasn’t committed to the testimony of men because the scripture says, "he knew what was in man” (Jn. 2:24). So what is it that Jesus knew that was in man? "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it”(Jer. 17:9)? That is why Jesus wasn’t committed to the testimony of men’s faith when he was here, and that has not changed, that is unless Jesus has changed (Heb. 13:8).

The new birth experience is the greatest gift to ever come from heaven. God’s only begotten son suffered and died so that we might have this wonderful experience of true, literal remission of sins. Do you really believe that God has made allowance for man to claim that he has become a child of God by being born again into his kingdom, when his only begotten Son had to have his witness, and was not committed to the witness of men; regardless of how many? No my friend, God has not changed either (Mal. 4:6; Jas. 1:17). Jesus made it clear that we would need the heavenly witness, even as he needed his heavenly witness: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (Jn. 15:26). Being born again means to receive the Spirit of God into one’s life, and the following scripture references confirm that irrefutably (Jn. 3:5; Rom. 8:9; Rom. 15:16; I Cor. 6:11; I Cor. 12:13; II Cor. 5:17; Tit. 3:5). It is certain that we receive the Spirit as a result of believing on Jesus (Jn. 7:37-39; Gal. 3:14). As Jesus stated in the above mentioned scripture, when we receive the Spirit it will testify of that experience, and that we will testify also. Now that is two witnesses, one from heaven and the other by us. So what is the Spirit’s testimony that we must have to authenticate our new birth experience? It is the same one that was furnished by God on the day of Pentecost, the day the body of Christ was born (I Cor. 12:13). "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). After Pentecost it was fully understood that this was the sign, or witness from God of the new birth experience. This is how Peter and those who came with him to the house of Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, knew that these people received the Spirit: "For [because] they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:46). This is how Philip and the apostles in Jerusalem knew that the Samaritans had not received the holy Ghost, even though they had experienced a number of miraculous things by faith in Jesus (Acts 8:14-16). Friend, it doesn’t matter how many people agree with us about what we believe to be our new birth experience. That is just a conglomeration of one witness, that being the witness of men. We still have to have the heavenly witness to confirm that our faith and repentance has met God’s terms, and that he has accepted us into his fold. God alone knows the hearts of men, and he alone has authority to judge for us that we have been made right in his sight through the remission of our sins (Jer. 17:10; Acts 15:8,9; I Jn. 5:9; Prov. 28:26). 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