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

On Faith

Peter watches as Cornelius's household lifts open hands in joyful utterance beneath a dove and luminous blue-white light.
© By One Spirit Ministries

The "Christian" gospel of this modern age is so abstract that it would not cause the champions of faith from the past to roll over in their graves; it would cause them to VOMIT from their graves. So what do I mean by 'abstract?' Webster says first of all about the word 'abstract,' "thought of apart from concrete realities." That says it all my friend. And here is how it applies to the gospel of Christianity: The first and foundational element of the true gospel of Christ is FAITH, plain and simple. So the way that the Christian gospel defines faith in Christ sets the tone for the remainder of the religion. What I want you to see here is how Christianity defines faith in Jesus, as opposed to the way the BIBLE defines faith in Jesus. And the reality is that Christianity does NOT define faith at all. Rather it is left wide open to be anything you want it to be. That is the abstract of it, because as Webster states, it is "apart from concrete realities." Ask any upstanding 'Christian' how they know that they are born again, or have the remission of their sins, and they will almost invariably say because they "believe" in Jesus. They will even give you scripture, like for instance, "Whosoever BELIEVETH that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I Jn. 5:1). Or maybe the universally known John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVIETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And let's not forget the ever popular Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Hey, these are all great passages of scripture, that is if you understand what they are saying. But few who profess faith in Christ will offer anything from the scriptures that actually show how faith in Jesus is defined more perfectly. I mean, as long as we just leave it at "faith," we can define it any old way we feel like defining it, and that is exactly what the designer of the powerless Christian gospel wants you to do. In the old testament, the prophets called it this "[walking] in the imagination of their [own] heart" (Jer. 13:10). Here is a rule of thumb that you can count on to be accurate: If you ask someone how they got right with God, and they give you a scripture, they are not right with God. And I will explain how that is. The reason for this is that scripture makes NOBODY right with God, but rather a living, powerful, transforming EXPERIENCE is the only thing that makes any one right with God. And guess what, that experience comes ONLY by FAITH in Jesus Christ, and his death and resurrection. And this is where we see how the SCRIPTURES define faith in Jesus. Speaking of faith in Jesus, JESUS himself said this: "He that BELIEVETH on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [But this spake he of THE SPIRIT, which they that BELIEVE on him should receive...] (Jn. 7:38,39). Now that makes really good sense, especially seeing that the same Bible tells us that we are washed from sin, which is to say sanctified and justified, by receiving the Spirit of God (I Cor. 6:11). So then let's define what receiving the Spirit is a little more clearly, and at the same time tie faith into the whole thing again: "For ye are all the children of God by FAITH in Christ Jesus. For [BECAUSE] as many of you as have been BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST have PUT ON Christ" (Gal. 3:26,27). You think that's talking about water baptism? Only if the Bible says, "Now the Lord is that water," which it does not. But it DOES say, "Now the Lord is that SPIRIT" (II Cor. 3:17). So to "put on Christ," which the above quoted scriptures says is done through baptism, is to "put on" the Spirit of God. Which is to say that the only people who are truly the children of God, as the apostle stated in Galatians 3:26, are those who by faith in Jesus have been baptized with the Spirit, as he also states in Galatians 3:27. Still not convinced? Well, the same apostle said very plainly that the only way into the one body of Christ is to be baptized with the holy Ghost (I Cor. 12:13). And how can you be born again, right with God, or any way you want to say it, and still not be in the body of Christ? Where would you be in that case?

But everything that I have written here, which is irrefutably confirmed by the Bible, can STILL be abstracted just as easily as saying "it's by faith." That is except for this one thing, and this is absolutely the clincher, and it is also where you will really uncover all the balking of the abstract faith talkers. There is unequivocally NO baptism of the holy Ghost in the Bible without the supernatural sign of speaking with other tongues. And that is because such a thing does not exist. That sign was present with EVERYONE who first received the experience on the day of Pentecost, which believers were the very first to become members of the body of Christ after Jesus went back to heaven (Acts 2:4). And a few years later, after innumerable souls had received this justifying experience, the apostles and elders were still recognizing this sign as the evidence that anyone was baptized with the Spirit: "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For [BECAUSE] they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44-46). And later Peter recounted this experience again: "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us... purifying their hearts BY FAITH" (Acts 15:8,9). Not enough? How about this? When Philip preached Jesus to the Samaritans, the scripture says that they believed and experienced a number of supernatural things through their faith, like being literally delivered from demon possession, healed of incurable diseases, delivered from the bondage of sorcery, and having "great joy" as a result of these things (Acts 8:5-8). And yet the scripture says that Philip and the apostles in Jerusalem upon hearing these things, knew that these people had not yet received the Spirit (Acts 8:14-16). Wow!! What a statement of divine truth! Today if anyone experienced anything remotely similar to what the Samaritans experienced, and someone said that they had not yet been born again, or have the remission of their sins, they would automatically be branded a heretic. Why? Because no one is thinking with the mind of Christ today, but rather with the religious mind that Christianity has dictated. But the apostles DID know that the Samaritans were not yet born again, BECAUSE they recognized the sign of speaking with other tongues as the evidence of the experience. And anyone who is honest and willing enough to prefer the truth of God over the falsehood of Christianity will recognize it today, because NOTHING HAS CHANGED ABOUT THE GOSPEL! It is still the same gospel of faith that "was once delivered to the saints," and it will remain so until the second coming of Jesus back to this world (Jude 1:3; Mat. 24:14). And it remains the truth, that "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). 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