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

Salvation and Scripture

A family and friends care tenderly for an elderly widow, expressing prayer, humble service and transformed conduct.
© By One Spirit Ministries

We live in a society that has promoted a "deserving" mindset to extremes, and a whole lot of 'Christians' today have the exact same feeling about salvation. Not many would admit it openly, but the modern traditions and doctrines of Christianity say it FOR those who adhere to them. So today I would like to take a look at a list of scriptures that give us an insight into what GOD thinks about this "deserving" mentality that has so many people believing that they have a locked in salvation that can't be derailed. "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. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" (Mat. 10:37,38). "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). It sounds to me like Jesus thinks that anyone who allows family to come before him is not 'worthy' of salvation, seeing that Jesus himself IS salvation. Next up: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be ACCOUNTED WORTHY to escape all these things that shall come to pass , and to stand before the Son of man" (Lk. 20:35). Again it sounds to me like Jesus is saying that it's going to take a lot of serious prayer on a constant basis to make the grade and be 'worthy' to escape what is coming on the rest of the world. And again: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye WALK WORTHY of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Eph. 4:1). Why would the holy Ghost inspire the apostle Paul to say something like this to people who already had salvation wrapped up nice and neat, and stuffed into their little shopping bag of goodies? It wouldn't, no more than it would inspire the next saying: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye MIGHT WALK WORTHY of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:9,10). "As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory" (I Thess. 2:11,12). Ditto on those passages.

"So that we ourselves glory in you in the [congregations] of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be COUNTED WORTHY of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer" (II Thess. 1:4,5). That statement sounds a whole lot like this one: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us" (II Tim. 2:12). And that one sounds a lot like this one: "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mk. 8:38). Then there's this: "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy" (Rev. 3:4). And that sounds like the exact same statement made by the beloved apostle, in regard to salvation: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (I Jn. 3:2,3). Yes, being clothed in white, and being pure as Christ is pure are indeed the very same thing; and Jesus made it clear that there were only a "few" in the congregation in Sardis who were in that condition, and who were counted 'worthy' in HIS eyes. That shows us who God thinks is worthy of salvation, which is to say 'deserving.' And seeing that so many today have been conditioned to a mindset that is "accepting" of pretty much everything, let's look at what the Bible says about acceptance, and who it is that does the accepting. "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" (Rom. 12:1). And again: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men" (Rom. 14:17,18). "That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 15:16). These sayings sound like the only thing God accepts is true holiness, which is without question pureness of heart (Mat. 5:8; Heb. 12:14).

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is ACCEPTABLE UNTO THE LORD" (Eph. 5:8-10). Not done yet: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and ACCEPTABLE in the sight of God our Saviour" (I Tim. 2:1-3). Here's another one: "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home , and to requite their parents: for that is good and ACCEPTABLE BEFORE GOD" (I Tim. 5:4). And once more for good measure: "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently , this is acceptable WITH GOD" (I Pet. 2:20). So in conclusion it is evident that God does NOT think like man, and neither does he think like the 'Christians' of today who think that THEY have "ACCEPTED JESUS as their savior," and are deserving of eternal salvation thereby. God decides who is 'deserving' of what, and he decides it by his own criteria, which we have seen by these consistently agreeing passages of scripture. And it is Jesus who does the accepting, and he only accepts those who meet his terms, as we have also seen consistently confirmed by the scriptures here. All that is left is one more scripture, which in fact is the continuation of one of the verses quoted above in this article: "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. 12:2). Don't think like this world my friend, and don't think like the modern traditions of Christianity which are only the mind of this world dressed up in religious clothes. That thinking is NOT acceptable to God, nor will it be found worthy, or deserving of everlasting life. 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