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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Scripture and the Holy Spirit

The elderly apostle John pauses with a reed pen over a blank scroll, raising his hand beside his ear as light enters his cave above a blue sea.
© By One Spirit Ministries

Today I would like to touch on what may very well be the number one idolatry in all of Christianity, not to mention that Christianity itself is the number one idolatry in the world today. That idol which may be the biggest of its kind in Christianity, as well as in the body of Christ, which is under dominion to Christianity; is none other than the Bible. Oh yeah, I know a lot of folks are gulping in disbelief at such a statement, and maybe some will quit reading here, and dismiss me as a lunatic. But for those who are willing to hear the truth, let's go from here and see what I'm talking about. First of all, what I am NOT TALKING ABOUT is that there is something wrong about the Bible. There is not. The scriptures are inspired by the holy Ghost, and the scriptures themselves say that they are (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:20,21). Again let me say clearly, I AM NOT SAYING THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BIBLE!! In fact I don't think I've met anyone who loves the scriptures, or believes them as they are, more than I do. And I don't believe that I've met anyone who reveres the infallibility of the scriptures as much as I do. Bold statements? Yes they are, but I've been around a while now, and God has been very gracious to me for his name's sake, to give me the understanding that he has given me; and I simply love the truth that he has revealed to me over the past thirty one years, and I fear God too much to mess around with the scriptures in a frivolous manner. Unfortunately, most people's "understanding" of the scriptures has been shaped by erroneous, modern Christian tradition, and not by the revealing power of the holy Ghost; which THE SCRIPTURES say we must experience in order to know the truth about the things of God (Jn. 14:26; Jn. 16:13; I Cor. 2:11,12; I Jn. 2:27). So a WHOLE lot of folks who think they revere the scriptures, don't revere the scriptures so much as they revere the Christian traditions and doctrines that have been dictated to them by man. And that brings me to the point. "Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? ... The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms... The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man" (Isa. 44:10,12,13). In ancient times, this is how an idol was formed, by the cunning skill of workmen who for hire would make in idol for anyone who would pay them, and they would make it any way the people wanted it. Nothing has changed my friend. Today, Christian ministers do the same exact thing, except now it is done by erroneous usage of the holy scriptures. The apostle Paul dealt with these false teachers even in his day, explaining that they taught "every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness" (Eph. 4:14). In fact, the entirety of Christianity is founded on this kind of teaching, and not on the power of the holy Ghost (I Cor. 4:20). And the result is a "gospel" that has been formed "after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man," and NOT according to the true "beauty of holiness" (Psm. 29:2).

Truth is, you don't even need a minister or teacher to make an idol out of the Bible. You can do it all by yourself. Just read and put your own "private interpretation" to what you read, and whalah! you have your own personal god to worship and serve in your own personal way. After all, it doesn't really matter what we believe, seeing we're "all serving God in our own way, and we're all going to the same place." Right? NO, WRONG!! How can we be saved if we are serving God in our own way, or according to someone else's perception of the way it is; when Jesus said, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him MUST worship him in spirit and in truth" (Jn. 4:24)? And how can we be saved by serving the Lord according to our own personal perception of the truth, or according to Christianity's traditions; when the apostle Paul told the saints that he wrote to, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to SALVATION through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of THE TRUTH" (II Thess. 2:13). For many, "the truth" just means whatever they think about the scriptures, or what Christianity has dictated to them about the Bible. And that goes to the root of Bible idolatry, which is to believe that the Bible is the word of God. The Bible does not CLAIM to be the word of God, but rather the scriptures inform us that the word of God is both "alive and powerful," and something that must "come to someone" (Heb. 4:12; Jer. 42:7; etc.). Remember what I said about Christianity teaching a gospel contrived by man's cunning craftiness, and not by the revealing power of the holy Ghost? Listen to what Jesus said about the word of God: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the SPIRIT SAITH unto the [congregations]" (Rev. 2:7; etc.). In fact Jesus ended all seven of his messages to the pastors in Asia, which he sent by the hand of John, with these same words. Reason being that the word of God is what the SPIRIT of God SAYS! The word of God is not written, it is SPOKEN, and that by the mouth of God (Prov. 8:6-8, etc.). Jesus did NOT say, "He that hath eyes to read, let him read how the word of God is written." The word of God cannot be READ, but rather it must be HEARD! And you can trust me when I tell you my friend, that when you hear God's word, it WILL line up perfectly with the scriptures, and will impart the ONLY TRUE understanding of the scriptures that exists. Without the experience of HEARING God's word, it is not possible to understand the truth of the scriptures. And that is why the Bible has been projected by Christianity to be the word of God; because Christianity has not HEARD the VOICE of God. And it is much easier and more convenient to casually read "the word," than to truly humble one's self and come clean before God, and seek him with great diligence and urgency for his word; as the BIBLE clearly shows that we must (Prov. 2:3-5). Yes friend, referring to the Bible as the word of God is indeed idolatrous, and this is just one of a totality of Christian traditions that must be forsaken by those who would truly "be led by the Spirit of God" back to the homeland of the great love, and power, and unity of God's holy Spirit, for which he sent his Son to suffer and die, in order to provide it for you and I (Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 4:32; Rom. 5:5; Acts 1:8; Jn. 10:10; Jn. 17:22-24; I Cor. 1:10). 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