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

A ministry home

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.

Explore messages from the archive, or help tell this ministry’s story by sharing a memory for the family to review and publish.

Read a message Share a memory

Legacy · Gospel E-Word

The End of Longsuffering

By Lary R. Hale

Noah stands at the narrowing doorway of the ark beneath gathering storm clouds — © By One Spirit Ministries

Throughout the Bible, and certainly in the ongoing experience of any true believer's life, the mercy and the longsuffering of the Lord is truly unfathomable. Yet the Scriptures, as well as history and life itself, also bear forth the sobering reality that God's mercy has it's limits, and His longsuffering does have an end. And I would like to correctly define God's longsuffering as "Putting up with people for a long period of time who are not conforming to His ways; and continuing to do good to them, in hope that they will see the folly and cursed state of disobedience, and return to the state of blessedness which accompanies obedience." We need look no further than the sixth chapter of Genesis to see this truth confirmed, as God's longsuffering of about sixteen hundred years with all of mankind ended, as He saved only Noah and his family, while destroying all men; not to mention every other living thing that wasn't on the ark (Gen. 6:6-8). If we really want to understand and know the mind and nature of God, we must honestly acknowledge that it was not gentleness, kindness, longsuffering, or any other such like trait that destroyed the inhabitants of the earth at that time. It was disgust, and it was anger - holy, righteous anger, and a whole lot of it!

Another very powerful biblical example of God's longsuffering having an end is regarding how that He rooted Israel out of the inheritance that He had given them, after they stubbornly and persistently defied His righteous rule over them for a long period of time. They had agreed to obey all of God's commandments, and they understood that if they refused to do so, they would be cursed by God, and eventually cast out of the land that God gave to them to be blessed in (Exd. 19:8; Deut. 28:15,63). After several hundred years of suffering His people's rebellious ways, and after exhausting all efforts to steer them back in the right direction, He finally ousted the northern kingdom of Israel from their inheritance by the hand of the king of Assyria (II Kings 17:5-15). And after the southern kingdom of Judah failed to be warned by the removal of their northern brethren, but went onward in sin and all manner of abominations, God also rooted them out of the land about a hundred and fifty years later by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Jer. 3:8-11; II Kings 24:1-4).

And of course we have the yet to be realized, ultimate end of God's longsuffering with man; that being the second coming of the Lord Jesus to this world. We are told clearly by the Scriptures that the wrath of God will be "poured out without mixture" upon the whole world at this time, and that afterward there will be "few men left" (Rev. 14:10; Isa. 24:6). This of course will usher in the thousand year reign of Christ with the faithful Saints who have been caught up to meet Him at His coming (Rev. 19:11-14; Rev. 20:1-6; I Thess. 4:15-17), and they will reign over those who are left.

But what I really want to address in this article is the fact that God's longsuffering toward His worldwide Congregation (i.e. Spirit baptized believers - I Cor. 12:13) and the individuals therein can have an end, even as with mankind or a nation. There are examples in the Scriptures in regard to this truth, the saddest of which has to be Saul, the first king of Israel. After starting out very well, Saul's heart was eventually lifted up in pride, and he became entrapped by the fear of men, and he lost the honesty and humility of his beginnings (I Sam. 15:17-24). God also withdrew His mercy and longsuffering from Saul, and He took the kingdom away from him; turning him over to the power of an evil spirit, which spirit carried him further and further from righteousness, until he met a very tragic end (II Sam. 7:15; I Sam. 16:14; I Sam. 22:16-19; I Sam. 31:1-6).

I have been deeply impressed for some time, that God's longsuffering with the waywardness of His people is growing short, and that this thinning patience has been showing up in the form of overtly straying saints being taken away in the midst of their years; suddenly and in graphic manner. I'm aware that sometimes the righteous may also be taken away in like manner, and I'm also aware of the admonition of Jesus, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Lk. 13:3,5). Yet in all of this I have no choice but to recognize the terrifying pattern that I've seen, and tremble. While understanding that I am not the judge of anyone's eternal lot, I also am unmistakably assured by the Scriptures that nobody who dies in sin will be saved, especially those who have been once delivered from sin (Heb. 12:14; I Jn. 3:2,3; Jude:3-6; Heb.1 0:26-31; Heb. 3:1-3; II Pet. 2:20,21; etc...). In seeing these kinds of things take place, I have been overwhelmed with both sadness and godly terror. In some of these cases, people with the Spirit of God in their lives had been living in overt fornication, as well as other clearly evident sins, for some time (I Cor. 6:9; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:5,6).

I know that many could identify with at least some of the sadness, but I wonder how many in the body of Christ can really identify with the feeling of godly terror, as a result of seeing such things. The Apostle Paul certainly understood this aspect of godliness, for it was he who said "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (II Cor. 5:11). And why did he persuade men? "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (II Cor. 5:10). This is why the same Apostle admonished us to "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philip. 2:12). Peter certainly was in agreement with this godly mindset regarding the fear of the Lord (I Pet. 1:13-17 ). In fact, all of the holy people of the Bible understood and agreed with these things. But the body of Christ has been taught in the opposite direction of the fear of the Lord, by being taught the comfortably erroneous traditions and doctrines of men, instead of the true way of holiness.

The Congregation of the Lord has been taught that we obtain eternal salvation at the beginning of our faith, whereas the Bible clearly and consistently sets forth that salvation is something that we will receive at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, if we have been faithful to God in holiness till the end (I Pet. 1:3-9; Heb. 2:1-3; Heb. 3:6,14; Heb. 4:1,11; Heb. 10:35,36; Heb. 12:14-17; Philip. 3:11-13; Mat. 24:12,13; etc., etc...). Why fear God if you're already locked into salvation? And God's people have been taught that Satan is the one who ordains and brings to pass everything that pertains to difficulty, hardship, and sorrow; while God brings everything that is welcome and enjoyable. Yet the Scriptures plainly state that it is God alone who has power to ordain and perform anything, whether pleasant or adverse (Rom. 11:13; Eph. 1:11; Amos 3:6; Isa. 45:7; Job 1:20,21; Deut. 32:39; Hos. 6:1; Eccl. 7:14; etc...) [Also see our FAQ's page Q&A called Is Satan the one who is responsible...?]. And this particular erroneous school of thought has caused God's people to fail to see God's great love and care for us, in regard to His effort to perfect us in holiness through the fiery trials that we must endure; which trials actually are our ticket to salvation and eternal life, if we prove faithful in obedience through it all (I Pet. 1:3-9; I Pet. 4:12,13; Mat. 3:11,12; James 1:2-4; II Cor. 7:1; Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:28; etc...). What's there to fear God about when we can lash out at the Devil in righteous indignation for his supposed attacks on us for being the righteous?

We are told in the Bible that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Prov. 9:10). In speaking of the end time, Jesus said that His overall assembly of believers would be like "ten virgins,... and five of them were wise, and five were foolish" (Mat. 25:1,2). The five foolish virgins were lost in the end, while fully expecting that they would be saved (Mat. 25:11,12). The five wise virgins obviously understood that righteousness and true holiness would be required of them till the end of their journey, in order to obtain eternal salvation. The foolish virgins did not understand this, and therefore they did not fear God, or understand their trials, and the holy purpose of them. Jesus also said "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent" (Rev. 3:19). The faithful saints of the Bible understood that holiness was required for salvation, and that God was the one who brought affliction upon them in love, for their betterment, joy, and salvation's sake (Heb. 12:5-13; Psm. 66:10-12.; Psm. 119:72,75; Job 23:8-10,13,14; Gen. 45:4-8; Gen. 50:20; Mat. 26:38,39,42 with John 18:10,11 and Heb. 12:2; etc...).

In closing, I would like to say that I hope this small article can help some to focus on God's purpose and great love for us all, and may we, and God, somehow be spared from further grief over tragic, premature loss of dear brothers and sisters from our presence and company. If you know someone who has received God's precious Spirit, but has strayed far from it, please pray for them, and warn them of the oncoming danger (Ezek. 33:8,9). For more on how the true salvation of the Lord is obtained, please refer to "When and How is a Person Saved"? on our FAQ'S page. May God bless, and deal graciously. Amen.

By One Spirit · Media library

Videos & songs

Broadcast 50Open on YouTube

Loading viewer…

Broadcast 50

Jesus Is All

By One Spirit

Broadcasts & songs

Broadcasts by number. Songs by name.

116 titles in this collection

More broadcasts

From the ministry’s YouTube archive. Visit the channel for new uploads.

In loving memory

Lary R. Hale

November 13, 1954April 21, 2024

Lary smiling with his beloved dog Champ — Lary with Champ

Obituary

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

Remember him