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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Ruth’s Faithful Love

Ruth holds Naomi's hands with steadfast love at a fork in the road toward Bethlehem.
© By One Spirit Ministries

Just a few notes today on one of the most powerful statements of faithfulness found in the Bible. I'm talking about Ruth the Moabitess, when her mother in law Naomi was leaving the land of Moab to go home to Israel, after having been there for a long season and suffering the loss of her husband and both of her sons. Naomi convinced her other daughter in law Orpah, to go back to her own people, and marry and raise children in her own land. But when Naomi insisted to Ruth that she follow the example of her sister in law, this is what Ruth answered the mother of her deceased husband: "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me" (Ruth 1:16,17). This beautiful saying of pure faithfulness has always moved my spirit upon reading it, and it really exemplifies the heart that it takes to serve God faithfully and steadfastly. Naomi tried in every way to get Ruth and Orpah to go back to their people and to their gods, when she left to go back to her own home empty handed. Orpah had also been determined to go with Naomi, but she was able to be persuaded otherwise. Ruth simply was not going to be persuaded to leave her mother in law and go back to her own people, regardless of the cost. And that is exactly the way it is in the service of the Lord. There is opportunity all along the way to either overcome obstacles by faith and the power of the holy Ghost, or just go back where we came from, in spirit and mind at least. The children of Israel, after being delivered from Egypt, came to trials of their faith, and chose to go back to Egypt in their hearts; though they continued in the journey in the wilderness, following the pillar of fire and the pillar of the cloud (Acts 7:39). And many in the body of Christ are doing the same today. Having received the Spirit, many go on in the journey in a partial manner, maintaining religious service; but in spirit being carnally minded, preferring the things that pertain to this present life (Mat. 6:33; Rom. 8:5,6). These represent the five foolish virgins in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, who did not take oil with them in the journey in order to keep their lamps burning. They were too late for the marriage supper and were turned away, though they expected to be accepted. What it comes down to, is that true faithfulness toward God motivates a true believer to continue to "purify [himself] even as he [Christ] is pure" (I Jn. 3:3). And there are obstacles all along the way that present the choice for us to fail to hold to that holy calling if we are slack, but if we are determined to "follow peace with all men, and holiness," those obstacles become stepping stones of growth and development in the nature of God's love and wisdom (Heb. 12:14).

The elect of God understand and believe what Ruth understood and believed, and that is that faithfulness [not just faith] is everything. Ruth in effect applied what Jesus demands of those who would truly continue to follow him: "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). Jesus was not commanding anyone to spitefully hate any of the above, but rather to prefer him and doing his will, over conforming to anyone else who is contrary minded. If separating one's self from those mentioned, or anyone else, is what it takes to keep that saying, then that is what is required, as he went on to say: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:33). And seeing that the true children of God are the true seed of Abraham, it serves to good reason that this was exactly the calling that God placed upon Abraham; which calling Abraham obeyed: "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee... So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran" (Gen. 12:1,4). And that gives us just a little bit more detail in regard to the saying of the apostle Paul, who said, "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham: (Gal. 3:9). It seems that a lot of folks have lost sight of the reality that this calling of holiness includes a great price to be paid in order to fulfill it, though the scriptures are replete with reminders: "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Act 14:22). And, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Tim. 3:12). And again, "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" (Mat. 10:25). And who was it that called Jesus Beelzebub, as he stated? It was God's people (Mat. 12:24). So it was God's people that he said would persecute those who truly follow him. In fact he brought it even closer to home when he quoted from the prophet Micah, who said, "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." And he did not stop at that, but continued: "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. 10:36,37). Again, the true connotation is about whose spirit we choose to conform to, whether it be the Spirit of God, or the spirits of men. All I can say friend is if we have the heart of Ruth, we will "follow the lamb whitersoever he goeth," regardless of the cost, and regardless of who stays or goes (Rev. 14:4). "For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). And there is a glorious reward for the faithful who are willing to receive "the honor that comes from God only" over the honor of men, even as there was for Abraham, and Ruth, and the children of Israel who did NOT turn back to Egypt in their hearts [Joshua and Caleb] (Jn. 5:44; Num. 32:11,12). I for one am fully persuaded that the reward far outweighs the cost it takes to obtain it (Rom. 8:18; II Cor. 4:17). 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