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 · Q&A

Jesus, the Word, and the Oneness of God

By Lary R. Hale

Raphael-inspired painting of thoughtful readers studying an open sacred book beneath a classical loggia. — © By One Spirit Ministries

Question:

Hello Brother,

I have been reading your explanation of The Trinity and I would like to make some inquiries. According to the Word in Genesis, In The Beginning was The Word (God) And the word was With God and The Word was God. Now according to The Scripture, there was Three creative powers in Heaven from the beginning, God, His word and His Power But the word also says that God Meaning One created man. Which leads me to believe that God was ONE God but Three entities, His Being (by this I mean His Actual Being) His Word (Which is that which He speaks and The Holy Ghost ( His Power). Now in St. John the first chapter The Scripture says that in the beginning was The Word (Which was God) and The Word was made flesh. My question is this what where does it say that The Word was Jesus and not God. If the Holy Ghost is God, then why would the word not be God. God's WORD is what created heaven and earth. Does that mean that Jesus created heaven and earth? Now, when God's word became Flesh it was Jesus and Jesus was God among men. According to the scripture, in Exodus when God told Moses to go to Pharaoh, Moses said who am I that I should go to pharaoh...when they ask who has sent me who shall I say you are and GOD said...tell them I AM has sent you. When Jesus was speaking to the people in St. John He said, before there even was an Abraham, I was "I AM". Does that not say that Jesus is saying He was God before Abraham even existed? When Jesus ascended into glory, the Scripture says that He sits on the right hand of God. But Genesis does not say that Jesus sat on the right hand of God from the beginning. It says God, His Word and His Spirit were in Heaven. My problem is this, If the Word was God and The Word became flesh and that flesh became Jesus does that mean Jesus was in heaven from the beginning or was God in heaven from the beginning. Also, if Jesus was actually God operating on His own power and not under the anointing of The Holy Ghost, how could He have been an example to us for we are NOT God's and worst yet, we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity and Jesus never was. Another thing, Was Jesus a man operating under the power of God or was He God walking in flesh with power unto Himself only praying to God as a means of giving respect and fellowship? If Jesus was God in flesh, why would He need to pray to God for the manifestation of miracles. If He did not have to pray to God for works of wonder because He was God and not a flesh and blood man, then how can we use Him as an example for us, we are not anything like Him even under the power of The Holy Ghost Power. Was Jesus equal to God even when He was in flesh? Can the son be equal to the Father? Are the Three now and before literally the same and three functions or are they LIKE in all ways but one is the father and one is the son or are they all three God but one is the being or the person of God, one is His spoken word and one His power? I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, God and Savior. I believe that Jesus died for my sin but that He was in fact God made flesh. I do not believe that God got off His throne and came to the earth but I believe the same way His word created all that has been created, His word became flesh and blood so that His blood could redeem us back unto Him. I believe His word had to come through a woman for the purpose of buying us back. I guess where I differ is in the fact that I do not believe The Word was The son but the Word was God's creative spoken word. I believe that I cannot know God unless I know His word because He is His word, literally meaning His written word (The Bible) and Our savior Jesus, which is The Word made flesh.

Deborah Gulley

Answer:

Hi Deborah,

Thanks for your inquiry concerning our website. I'm going to address your questions and some of your statements in the order which you wrote them:

1.) I believe you mistakenly perceived that I'm preaching the "Trinity" doctrine, which actually I'm not. You may refer back to the tract that you read, "The True Oneness Of God," and see that one of the sub-headings states that both the "Trinity" doctrine and the "Jesus Only" doctrine are erroneous.

2.) When man was created, God spoke to SOMEONE, saying "Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness:" (Gen. 2:26) That SOMEONE was His Son Jesus Christ. Seeing man is made in the image of God, God had to be speaking here to someone else Who also was God, which agrees with Jn. 1:1,2 and Prov. 8:30.

3.) The preceding point leads to the question about whether Jesus created all things. Ephesians 3:9 plainly says that God created all things THROUGH Jesus Christ, meaning God gave the command and Christ did the creating. John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 clearly state that Jesus created all things. During creation in Genesis, when God repeatedly said "Let there be...," He was speaking to the Son, giving command to create.

4.) Jesus is clearly referred to as "The Word of God" in Rev. 19:13. You can more perfectly confirm this by combining Rev. 1:14, and Rev.3:14 with Rev. 19:13.

5.) Concerning Jesus being God before Abraham: Jesus is referred to in the Scriptures as "the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father" (Jn. 1:14, etc.). To beget someone means that they come out of their father's body. Jesus Christ is the ONLY being who ever literally came out of the Father's body, and that's why He is said to be the "only begotten of the Father." That also is why He is referred to as "the express image of His (the Father's) person" (Heb. 1;3). This also is what makes Jesus God. It's impossible for Him to be anything else but God, seeing He is totally of the Father's substance. Everyone and everything else was CREATED by God through Christ, but not BEGOTTEN the way Christ was. It's true that spirit baptized believers are referred to as "begotten" by God (I Pet. 1:3), but through ADOPTION (Gal. 4:4,5; Rom. 8:14,15). We are "grafted" in (Rom.11:17) though the baptism of the Spirit (I Cor. 12:13). but nobody has been directly begotten of the Father the way Christ was. That's why He is God, and nobody else is, except the Father of course. This means that yes Jesus is deity, but no he is not also the Father. In Heb. 1:8,9 we see the Father calling the Son "God," and also telling Him that He (The Father) is His (The Son's) "God."

6.) Jesus not only was in Heaven from the beginning, He IS the Beginning (Rev. 3;14; Prov. 8:22 with I Cor. 1:30). God the Father had no beginning. He has always been. Period! The Father's name, Jehovah, is translated in Hebrew to mean the "Self Existent." Praise God! Everyone else exists by the Father, including Jesus (Acts 17:28; Jn.6:57). Jesus Christ, being the first entity of any kind ever created, thusly HAS TO BE "The Beginning." (Col. 1:15-17; Prov. 8:22-31)

7.) The reason Jesus prayed is made clear in Heb. 5:7, where we are told that He prayed to the Father with "strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared;" It's evident that this is speaking of one Person praying to another Person who was greater than Himself, which agrees with what Jesus said about His Father in John 14:28.

8.) That point leads to this one: When the scripture refers to Jesus as being "equal with God," (Philip. 2:6) it doesn't mean that the Son is equal to the Father in the way we think of equality. The Greek translation refers to "similarity," or "likeness," which agrees to everything I've set forth here by the Scriptures.

9.) As far as how the "three" are "one," that's really what my whole tract on "The True Oneness of God" is about. "There are three (Entities) that bear record in Heaven...and these three are ONE" (I Jn. 5;7). There's not three Persons, nor is there only one Person; but rather two Persons who are made ONE by means of having the same Spirit (the third entity). This is how WE can and must be made ONE, in the same manner that the Father and the Son are one (Jn. 17:22). They have separate bodies, but the same life substance, which is divine or eternal life; which also is the divine nature. The oneness is in nature and understanding and such things as this, even as we are instructed by the Scriptures to have (I Cor. 1:10, etc.). This we can and will have, if we are led and taught by the Spirit of God, as also we are instructed in the Scriptures to be (Rom. 8:14, etc.; Jn. 14:26, etc.).

10.) As concerning God BEING the "written word," I would like to point you to our article on Continuing In The Word Of God. But just in short order, God is not the written word, but rather the written word is a record of some of God's words and dealings with man.

Much of what I've written here is contained in our online gospel tract titled In The Beginning. I hope that the few things I've written here will answer some of the inquiries you sent along. I believe also that if you read the The True Oneness Of God again, you'll probably see what I'm saying more clearly. Your correspondence is always welcome. Thanks again for writing.

Sincerely,

Lary

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