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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Faith and the Flesh

Jesus gestures toward obedient disciples as his spiritual family while his mother and brothers wait respectfully at the doorway.
© By One Spirit Ministries

"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Mat. 12:46-50). Someone could read this passage and think that Jesus wasn't much of a 'family man,' if they chose to see it that way. But I rather doubt that anyone would venture forth with such an assertion about him, or at least anyone with any faith or sense. But I wonder how many people really have a clue as to what he was saying, and how it applies to true followers of Jesus today. It's really very simple. It's exactly like he said, or at least for those who "love the Lord [their] God with all [their] heart, and with all [their] soul, and with all [their] strength, and with all [their] mind; and [their] neighbour as [their self]" (Lk. 10;27). The truth is that Jesus is the ULTIMATE family man, but his family is made up of those, whom like he said, "do the will of [his] Father which is in heaven." It's the natural thing for carnal people to feel closer to their natural families; and likewise it is the natural thing for those who are of the family of God to feel closer to those who are doing the will of God by following the leading of his Spirit in their lives. As it is written: "For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, THEY are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:14-16). If we have truly been born again by being baptized with the holy Ghost by Jesus, we should naturally draw close to those who have the same experience and are continuing in it (I Cor. 12:13; II Cor. 5:17). That is unless we are not following the commandment to "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1,4; Gal. 5:16). If we are in Christ but have chosen to walk after the flesh more than the Spirit, then we will again feel closer to people who likewise are walking after the flesh.

The fact of the matter is that it is an UNNATURAL thing for a child of God to be closer to their natural family than to their spiritual family in Christ, unless of course their natural family is IN Christ and following hard after the Spirit. In fact it is certain that ANYONE who is abiding in Christ will feel that their real family are those who are truly following after God's Spirit and his will, because THAT IS THE WAY JESUS FEELS! I'm not making that up my friend, as you may note that is where we began with our text scripture passage. We're actually talking here about the old unbreakable rule of "birds of a feather flock together." There's no way around it, everyone draws close to those who are of a kindred spirit with them, whether it be of God, or of this world (I Jn. 4:5,6). Not only so, but even within the body of Christ there also exists the malady of those who are not truly following God's Spirit walking with those who also are not being led by the Spirit. In fact if you are going to be led by the Spirit of God in all things, you will have to do it outside the confines of every single Christian affiliation that exists, including the Pentecostal ranks; because there are none that are founded on that principle. Period. If you are going to be the true friend and family of Jesus, you will have to do it on the terms that he himself stated: "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets (Lk. 6:22,23). Who did these things to the prophets of old? God's people to whom they were sent, and among whom they were. If we don't find ourselves in that company, then we WILL find ourselves in this company: "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (Lk. 6:26). And by whom were the false prophets spoken well of? God's people who they were among.

Maybe since we're living in 2013 things have changed now. Hold on a minute, and let's hear what Jesus said about things changing: "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" (Mat. 10:24,25). So then it isn't just a matter of feeling closer to God's people, but rather of drawing nigh to those AMONG God's people who are truly following his Spirit wholly, and demonstrating the love thereof without partiality. That is who is family to Jesus, and that is who is family to those who ARE family to Jesus. It's easy math really, though certainly a very hard pill to swallow for those who are not being seriously real with God, and adhering to the evident truth of the matter. So ask yourself, who is it that you truly see as your family? Amos called it like it is when he said, "Can two [or more] walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). So did Solomon: "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed" (Prov. 13:20). I suppose that if anyone else has created you and the world you live in, died for your sins, filled you with divine life from heaven, and given you the opportunity to inherit immortality and eternal life; then they're probably worthy of being closer family to you than Jesus and those who he truly calls family. But if that isn't the case then it sure makes a lot of sense to me for Jesus to have made statements like this: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Mat. 10:37). And this one too: "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:26). To "hate" these is to say to prefer Jesus over all of these. All I can say is that Jesus is worthy of all of these things and more to me, and my family are those who feel likewise and demonstrate that in their lives. 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