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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From the ministry archive

Running Out of Time

A man turns from an hourglass and worldly possessions toward a luminous garden path and a waiting neighbor.
© By One Spirit Ministries

I’m thinking about a line in one of my son’s songs that I just listened to: “Spending every moment trying to forget that their running out of time.” Sadly this is exactly what almost everyone is doing with their lives. To prioritize and gear your life to live after the things that pertain to this life is simply an absolute waste of time in the truest sense. If that waste is not corrected it can only end up at the line in the song that immediately follows the one quoted: “The coffin door will close, a few words will be said; man will look at a legacy, while God sees a life never lived.” It really does sadden my heart to sit here and realize how many people are running hard to get to that end, including a lot of folks that I know personally. It brings to mind a very wise and simplistic saying by Solomon, the ancient king of Israel to whom God gave extraordinary wisdom: “I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?” (Eccl. 2:2). That’s the question I have to ask of all who are neglecting the Savior who left heaven just to suffer and die that we might have life, and I have to ask it about EVERYTHING that one might be doing while continuing in that neglect. “What doeth it?” Brings to mind a saying from that very Savior: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mat. 16:26). Someone will invariably say something like, “God’s done a lot for me.” Well I’m aware of that, and better yet so is he. But what he is concerned with, is what are we doing for him? There’s really only one thing we CAN do for God that is acceptable with him, and the apostle Paul laid it out nice and neat for us: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:1,2). Anyone can make of that statement whatever they like, but there is a truth and reality there that can be attained to by any and all who truly WANT to attain to it. It’s actually the same exact thing as the first and greatest commandment: “And [Jesus] answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Lk. 10:27).

Keeping the first and greatest commandment and the second one that is like unto it will come naturally to someone who has truly been born of God’s Spirit, and who lives their life in the power of his Spirit to die to their own self, thereby allowing God to “work in [them] both to will and to do of HIS own good pleasure” (Rom. 6:6; Philip. 2:13; I Pet. 4:1,2). That is how we offer ourselves to God as “a living sacrifice,” as quoted from Romans above. If we are not doing these things, and if being found acceptable to God is not our top priority, then we are surely wasting our life. If we are unconcerned about whether anyone else is doing these things, and we are doing little to nothing to change that, then we are surely wasting our lives. And that brings me back again to my son’s song, and to the line just before the one that I began with: “They’ll drown their conscience in friends, they’ll drown their sorrow in wine.” This world provides every distraction imaginable to turn people away from the only reason that they are here, and if one is not “sober and vigilant” as the apostle Peter said, then there is only one inevitable outcome: “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8). My question is, why would someone fool themselves their entire life just to find out at the end that they’ve fooled themselves, and that they have also missed out with God for eternity? It just doesn’t make sense. That brings to mind another line from another Gospel song from another artist that I love: “Let’s worry about it people when we all get there.” That really is the mentality of most people, just rushing from one temporal thing to the next, “trying to forget that their running out of time.” All I can say my friend is that my hope, my desire, and my prayer is that when my coffin door and yours closes; that God will be smiling, and we will be there smiling with him. So if that is our aim, and I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be, let us take the more earnest heed to the admonition of the great apostle Paul: “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Cor. 7:1). Amen and God bless.

From the Preserved Writings of Lary R. Hale

By One Spirit · Media library

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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