By One Spirit Ministries

To Have Understanding
by Lary R. Hale

Just a few words today on the divine virtue of true spiritual understanding, and its value to believers in Christ. The angel of the Lord who told Daniel of a number of events that would take place in the end time, said some things about having understanding that should not be overlooked: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever… Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Dan. 12:3,10). So we see that “the wise” who will “shine as the brightness of the firmament” will be those who truly have understanding from God, and thereby make themselves pure. Jesus said the same things about those in the end time as did that angel, when he told the parable of the “ten virgins.” Speaking of end time events before his second coming, he said that in that time the kingdom of God would be like unto ten virgins, with five being wise and five being foolish (Mat. 25:1,2). Now it should be noted what it was that he meant about “the kingdom of God” being like ten virgins. The kingdom of God is defined in the Bible one time, saying, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). So to say that the kingdom of God would be like ten virgins is to say that the people who have been baptized with the holy Ghost would be like ten virgins (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 4:20). What that tells us is that those who have received God’s Spirit and are looking for the second coming of the Lord will be divided into those who are wise, and those who are not wise. As the parable goes, the wise are able to “endure unto the end and be saved,” whereas the foolish allow “the love of [God] to wax cold,” and are turned away at the end by Jesus (Mat. 25:8-12; Mat. 24:12,13). These are the same people that the angel spoke to Daniel of, saying that “the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” 

The simple reality is that divine understanding will either make us or break us, depending on whether we have it and keep it, or we lack it and suffer the consequences. “He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good” (Prov. 19:8). True understanding is simply being able to define things as God does. It is a gift for those who are obedient to God’s will, and have a true love for holiness (Eccl. 2:26; Jn. 14:26; Jn. 16:13; 1 Jn. 2:27). The scriptures tell us, “Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee” (Prov. 2:11). So what is it that we need to be preserved and kept in? The only thing that matters, the love of God of course. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost,” but those who do not understand will allow the love of God to “wax cold,” as the scriptures have shown us (Rom. 5:5). So those who MISUNDERSTAND holiness and the love of God will NOT “endure unto the end [and] be saved.” The scriptures also plainly declare that “without holiness no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Holiness is the state of being literally without sin, which is altogether what Jesus died and rose to provide for us (Rom. 6:6; Heb. 9:13,14). Religious man has tried to define holiness in every way he can think of apart from its one true meaning, which is to be without sin in the heart, soul, and mind (Mat. 5:8; Rom. 6:1,2; Rom. 8:2,13). The truth is that every defining of holiness apart from the simplistic and pure truth of the matter, is not understanding; but rather it is MISUNDERSTANDING, and it will not preserve, keep, or save the soul. The beloved apostle surely agreed with this, and he also gave us one of the most powerfully confirming statements of this truth in the entire Bible; which takes us full circle to the second coming of the Lord, and those in the kingdom of God before his coming: “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” (1 Jn. 3:2,3). And that is exactly what the angel of the Lord said to Daniel about those in the end who would be wise and would have the simplistic, pure understanding of God’s holiness and truth. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 16, 2013  

Are You Teaching God?
by Lary R. Hale

“Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?” (Isa. 40:13,14). You might look at this passage and think, “Who is trying to teach God anything?” But the truth is, almost EVERYBODY is trying to teach God EVERYTHING. How so, you may ask? By going on in their own misguided misunderstanding of the way things really are, and feeling a false security in that misunderstanding; people are showing to God that they know more than he does. Trust me when I tell you that is the way he sees it. Otherwise why would the Spirit of God inspire such words as we see in our text scripture? If people didn’t think they know more than God, they would submit themselves to him with fear and trembling, and seek him with all their heart in hope of learning enough from him to save them from his soon coming wrath on this lying, wicked, puffed up world. But as it is written, so it is with men: “The way of a FOOL is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Prov. 12:5). The counsel that someone should hearken to is the counsel that is in someone else that is from God. But foolish man would rather perish than to humble himself to believe that someone has something from God that he himself does not have. If we reject God’s counsel that is in someone, we have positioned ourselves to be one of the untold multitude who think they are teaching and instructing God in the way of truth.

It all brings to mind an exchange between an unnamed prophet and Amaziah the king of Judah: “And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel” (II Chron. 25:16). The king may have been in the position to have the prophet smitten, but the prophet’s words determined that the KING would be smitten by God. If you refuse God’s words from someone else, you have quite plainly refused God, or at least that is what Jesus told us (Mat. 10:14,15). It is very simply up to you and I my friend, to know if, when, how, and through whom God chooses to work. He will always do things his way, and if we are not prepared to receive his way we will be steamrolled BY his way, whatever that way may be in a given situation. If we choose to refuse God’s work and his words, and walk after our own counsels, we will have no choice but to fulfill the following proverb: “The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (Prov. 26:16). Another proverb that really tells it like it is says this: “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself” (Prov. 18:2). And these things leave us with the only evident conclusion of the matter: “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility” (Prov. 18:12). Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 15, 2013  

No Fear of God?
by Lary R. Hale

“The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry” (Nahum 1:1-10). For your information my friend, that is a valid and qualified statement of a prophet of God who was given direct revelation knowledge in a vision of the second coming of the Lord Jesus back to this world. It is a very encouraging statement to those who truly are trusting fully in God’s grace and power, and an equally horrifying statement for any and all who are not. But whether encouraged or horrified, it should invoke godly fear and terror upon all.

So who is it that says God should not be feared? It certainly wasn’t the writers of the Bible, all of whom were moved by the holy Ghost in the things they wrote: “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him” (Psm. 89:7). “Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?” (Job 13:11). “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isa. 8:13). Do the new testament writers agree with the old testament writers in regard to fearing God? The apostle Paul surely did: “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. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:10,11). So did Peter: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Pet. 1:17). Maybe that is why the apostle Paul admonished us to “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philip. 2:12). Just exactly why do we need to fear God? I believe it is fitting that we allow Jesus to answer that question for us: “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Lk. 12:5). That leaves us with this question: What is it that would occasion us ending up in hell fire, as Jesus warned of? “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). To that we should add the following for clarity: “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). I believe that says it. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 13, 2013  

No Body For God?
by Lary R. Hale

I would like to address today the commonly held but erroneous mindset among those who profess faith in Christ, that God the Father does not have a body. Are you kidding? Everyone else in heaven, as well as everyone and every living thing in the earth, including bugs; all have bodies, and the Father of all creation does not? C’mon now, we can do better than that. Let’s just settle this issue really fast from pure continuity of the scriptures, once and for all. First of all, the whole notion of it is utterly ridiculous, and here is the beginning of why it is: “And God said, Let us make man in OUR image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Who do you suppose God was talking to in this passage from the account of the creation? Some people, in defending their erroneous creeds, have said that it was angels. Really? Then why is there not ONE scripture in the entire Bible that gives any confirmation to that school of thought? That’s right, not even one. I say he was talking to his Son Jesus Christ, and I DO have substantial scriptural confirmation for that school of thought: “All things were made by him [Christ]; and without him was not any thing made that was made… He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (Jn. 1:3,10). Not enough for you? Okay, let’s look at this one: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things BY Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:9). This one works too: “In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins… For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:14,16). Let’s do it once more for good measure: “[God] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, BY WHOM also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1:2). I’m certain that is sufficient to the point, so it is clear that it was indeed his Son to whom God said, “Let us make man in OUR image.” I haven’t yet heard of any professing believers that say that Jesus doesn’t have a body, so it is evident that his Father ALSO has a body. Otherwise man is not made in “their” image, but rather in Jesus’ image only; because it is obvious that WE have a body, as well as a soul and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). 

Of course I’m aware of the scriptures that people use to try to prove this erroneous and perverse notion that God himself doesn’t have a body. One of those is the following: “God is a Spirit…” (Jn. 4:24). What this means is that God is a spiritual being, not that he is some misty, floating vapor. The scripture also says, “Who maketh his angels spirits,” and we know and acknowledge that angels have bodies (Heb. 1:7). Like God and everyone else in the heavenly realm, angels are spiritual beings who have spiritual bodies. The Bible also informs us that the people of God who are faithful till the end will also inherit spiritual bodies at the second coming of the Lord (Mat. 24:13; 1 Cor. 15:42-44; Plilip. 3:21; 1 Jn. 3:2,3). Another verse is this one: “Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Yes, the Father is invisible to US, as the scriptures declare, but according to himself and Jesus he is quite visible in bodily form to Jesus and the host of heaven: “And he [God] said [to Moses], Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live… And I will take away mine HAND, and thou shalt see my BACK PARTS: but my FACE shall not be seen” (Exd. 33:20,23). Jesus gave us this on the matter: “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen HIS SHAPE” (Jn. 5:37). Jesus also told us this: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the FACE of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat. 18:10). Again, the point is sufficiently made, both by Jesus and by the Father as well; who are unanimous that the Father certainly has a body, even as the Son and EVERYONE ELSE has a body. Now just a short footnote here regarding the holy Ghost. The holy Ghost is the eternal life and the divine nature that INDWELLS BOTH the Father and the Son (Jn. 5:26; Rom. 8:2). The Father and the Son are both persons but the Spirit is NOT a person, nor does it have a body of its own; but again it INDWELLS both God and his Son. The holy Ghost in fact is what constitutes the true oneness between the Father and the Son (Jn. 10:30; Jn. 17:22). It is by receiving and following after the holy Ghost that we can be one with God, the Son, and one another; even as Jesus prayed for us to be (Jn. 10:10; Jn. 17:21-24; Rom. 15:6; I Cor. 1:10). It is Satan who denies that God has a body, just as it is Satan’s grand design to see all of God’s people fall into the deadly apostasy which is known in the scriptures as “the resurrection is past;” which doctrine disclaims both the physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus, as well as the physical resurrection of his saints at his coming (2 Tim. 2:18; 1 Cor. 15:12-18). I assure you that we very much need to avoid that trap my friend. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 12, 2013  

Overmuch Righteous
by Lary R. Hale

“Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?” (Eccl. 7:16,17). There’s a mighty lot of folks these days that need to take a long, honest look at this passage of scripture. There is a demonic religious spirit that is influencing a lot of God’s people to condemn one another by means of their sectarian and personal “righteousness” and “wisdom” standards, and at the same time exposing their own blatant hypocrisy. Let me give you just a few examples of what I’m talking about. Sometime ago I reproved some people of their erroneous sectarian doctrines after they had basically tried to impose them on myself and some others who were with me. As a result a week or so later, one of their young people who had been told about this, told me; “We know that we need to keep things basic around you Lary, because we understand that you’re just not there yet.” How nice of him. What he meant was that it had been established to him by others that I am very elementary in my faith, and just not able to see the vastly great and “deep light” of their ridiculous “Jewish fables” that they call truth (Tit. 1:14). Less than a couple of minutes later he went outside for a smoke break. A week or so later the same young man made a really gross, off color remark about something vulgar immediately after my son finished playing a song that brought peace and soberness down from heaven on a number of us sitting there. One of his own brethren rebuked him for that obviously foolish and unholy comment, which incidentally had absolutely nothing to do with the song. It was in fact just a nervous, combative effort to throw off the evident anointing of the song, and the Spirit of holiness that it brought. The point is that the FRUIT of their “deeper light of wisdom” shows very clearly that it is in reality just a religious masquerade, and an obvious hypocrisy that is AGAINST the Spirit of God. Another individual of yet another Pentecostal sect made an even more outlandish statement to one of my sons, in defense of their sect’s strong stance on water baptism “in Jesus’ name.” This sect believes that anyone who has not been baptized in water in the name of Jesus will certainly go to hell, no exceptions. So my son asks her, “Well, what do you say about someone like Martin Luther who was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost?” I should interject here that anyone who really knows much about the history of the body of Christ and about world history since the 1500’s, should know that Martin Luther was not only the greatest man of God since the apostles of Christ; but he may very well be the greatest man PERIOD since the apostles. No time to elaborate on that now, but you can do some homework on that one if you care to. Anyway, this individual’s trained answer to that was simply; “Well Jesus said that there would be many on the day of judgment who will say, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mat. 7:22,23). That has to be one of the most overt examples of “wresting the scriptures” to try to defend a sectarian doctrine that I have ever seen. I can tell you that I would not want to be the person saying that about the great Martin Luther, even in stark ignorance.

I need also to note that this same woman several weeks earlier had overheard me expounding the truth to someone that the baptism of the holy Ghost, which Jesus paid for with his death and resurrection, totally fulfilled and eliminated water baptism. While this conversation in fact did not even include her, she saw fit to jump in and try, in vain howbeit, to reprove me for what I was saying about the evident truth. A couple of weeks after the conversation with my son this woman was pregnant out of wedlock. Once again the fruit of that sect and their “over much righteousness,” which includes strict hair and dress codes as well, told on them with blatant hypocrisy. The most recent example is that I just bought a new wallet after looking for one on and off for several years. The wallet is of a comic book nature and has sentimental value to me because it reminds me of my childhood when I read a lot of comic books. A brother who in fact received the baptism of the Spirit largely by means of my ministry not long ago, but has since backslid; happened to see the wallet at his place of work where we were eating. The doctrine that he has chosen is one of a more personal nature, but it involves a lot of things about conspiracy theories, aliens, and other fantastic type of stuff. Well, he felt the need to let me know that my wallet was of a demonic nature. How gracious of him. I let him know straightly that he simply did not know what he was talking about, and explained to him by the scriptures; “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Tit. 1:15). And I also reminded him that I had told him a while back that if he did not break free from the fantastic religious nonsense that he was observing, he would go nowhere with God. At that he promptly went outside for a smoke break. The point? Hypocrisy of course. In all of these examples [and I have plenty more] these people were guilty of making themselves “over much righteous and wise” while their deeds declared them to be “over much wicked” in the process. It all brings to mind what Jesus told the Pharisees, who were unduly condemning his disciples for plucking corn on the Sabbath, and eating it: “But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless” (Mat. 12:7). Friend, the Bible clearly says that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom. 5:5). To add to that, Jesus simply told us, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12). If we can fulfill that commandment by the overcoming power of the Spirit of God, we are living at the pinnacle of the human existence, and we know that full well by how it feels on the inside. If we are NOT fulfilling that commandment, we will probably be busy finding something else to mark our righteousness by; seeking in vain to cure the lacking that we feel inside. That my friend is always a losing cause because that path can only take us further away from the simplicity that Jesus commanded us, and from the joy that it brings. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 11, 2013

Faith, Trials, and Salvation
by Lary R. Hale

“For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” (Psm. 66:10-12). There is a very good reason that we have things happen that are not a lot of fun to deal with, and that reason is that God wants us to come out of these ordeals “into a wealthy place.” The wealth that God is trying to give us is a higher and purer degree of his love and joy inside us that we can freely distribute to an impoverished and dying world around us. The Proverbs speak of this divine wealth like this: “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable [lasting] riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver” (Prov. 8:17-19). Regarding the trial of our faith and the wealth to be gained from them, consider these words of exhortation from the apostle Peter: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with EXCEEDING JOY” (1 Pet. 4:12,13). Peter is speaking here of the ultimate wealth that is waiting for those who endure their trials faithfully, and continue to increase in the wealth of God’s love and holiness. He elaborates on this point a little more, earlier in the same letter: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are KEPT by the power of God through faith UNTO SALVATION ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the END of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:3-9). 

So it is clear that the ultimate wealth, which is the salvation of our souls, is dependent on us coming through our trials pure of heart, and thereby being found holy and full of God’s love at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Therein is the saying fulfilled that says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). Jesus speaking of the end time, also made the same point and also clarified that not all of God’s people will be found in that condition at his coming: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mat. 24:12,13). And in consideration of both Peter’s and Jesus’ words on this matter, let’s allow the beloved John to tell us the exact same thing: “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” (1 Jn. 3:2,3). Seeing that David, Solomon, Peter, John, and Jesus are unanimous in the same truth about our trials and our salvation; let’s don’t forget the great apostle Paul, who will now put a nice topping on this truth for us: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). And just to be sure about the part that says, “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able,” the same apostle gives us the following assurance: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose… What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? … For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:28,31,35,38,39). And all that is left is, Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 9, 2013  

Be Helped
by Lary R. Hale

I’ve seen it time and again, people who just can’t allow themselves to be helped by someone else. If good help is available for us in a certain venue of need, whatever it may be; if we cannot receive that help from someone else then we cannot receive it from God. It is that simple. There is a false show of humility that some folks just won’t let go of, that is in reality a spirit of pride that just doesn’t want someone else to feel like they’ve helped them. We should seriously consider the pure and simplistic words of Jesus on the matter: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat. 5:3). Being poor in spirit means that we know that we are in need, and we know how to “cast [our] care on [Jesus],” knowing that “he cares for [us]” (I Pet. 5:7). When we cast our cares on the Lord, we should be open to however and sometimes through whomever he may want to take care of our matters. But sadly there are plenty of folks who think that they should just “tough it out” on their own if an answer doesn’t swiftly come from heaven. Some people have been so conditioned by the burdens of this life that they have gotten accustomed to carrying, that they are just bound and determined to continue carrying those burdens themselves. To this Jesus also said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28). But it doesn’t necessarily always stop at Jesus himself. He loves instrumentality and he loves to use his people to help his people, and often times he even uses those who are not his people to help his people. The apostle Paul admonished us in this matter as well: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philip. 2:4). And to that he added the following: “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (I Cor. 12:25). And to keep the ball rolling, he also said this: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). When we don’t allow someone to help us with legitimate help that we are in need of, we displease God, who is the one behind that help. We also deprive whoever is trying to help, because there is great joy in doing for others, as well there should be, considering the following words of Jesus: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Mat. 7:12). 

The apostle Paul was one of, if not the greatest man of God in the history of the world; yet he knew when and how to allow others to help him, and why as well: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity… Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate [send help] with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no [congregation] communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound TO YOUR ACCOUNT. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philip. 4:10,14-18). Had he not been willing to accept this help from the Philippians, Paul would have clearly been depriving both himself and God’s people of a needed and great blessing, which would have been displeasing to God across the board. I am thankful for the times I have been able and willing to reach out to God’s people for help when faced with things above my capacities on my own. The truly grieving part is that it has never been reciprocated by the same folks that I’ve allowed to help me, who later could have used my help, but declined. I am around people on a regular basis who I could be of much help to in many ways, who choose to go it on their own with no chance whatsoever of true success in their circumstance. How can I say such a thing and know what I’m talking about? By the Spirit of God’s love and truth that guides me continually, and has done so for many years progressively. The same Spirit in fact which is mentioned in the following passage: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30). Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 7, 2013  

Fear Not to Fear God
by Lary R. Hale

How revealing. Almost no one ‘liked’ my posts from the past two days. One of the pictures was of the she bears devouring the young rebels who mocked the prophet Elisha. And the other one? Oh, just some folks falling into the fiery pit of hell, that’s all. The content of both posts was explanatory of the pictures, so that must have been just “too much” for a lot of folks to handle. But hey, that’s fine, my feelings haven’t been hurt in about thirty two years; neither will they be hurt now or in the future. That’s part of the reality of “the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). I don’t preach, write, or minister through any other venue, in order to please men anyway. If I did, “I could not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). But really, it reminds me of an old Simon and Garfunkel song, where he says; “A man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.” Eighty people so far have seen my post from yesterday, and two hundred and sixty six have seen the one about Elisha and the she bears; so what that tells me is that there are a whole lot of folks who do not want to hear about the God of judgment. And what THAT tells me is that a whole lot of folks only want to hear the things about God that they want to hear, and they want to disregard the rest, as Garfunkel sang it. To me personally it simply isn’t an issue, as I love EVERYTHING about God, very much including the things that emit godly fear and terror. But to all who do NOT love to hear everything about the God of truth, it is a VERY BAD SIGN. Very bad indeed my friend. And since my employer requires of me to “declare unto you ALL the counsel of God,” maybe I should detail this understanding a bit further (Acts 20:27). The reason for this common malady of God’s people shying away from the concept of “the God of judgment” is that the devil has people AFRAID of having the fear of God. How ironic. The scripture tells us plainly that “perfect love casts out [worldly] fear” (I Jn. 4:18). However, perfect love DOES NOT cast out the fear of God. The kind of fear that perfect love casts out, is as John said, the fear that “hath torment,” and there is surely no torment in the fear of God. The fear of God in fact is the ABSENCE of ALL OTHER fear! David prayed about this in the Psalms, “Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: UNITE MY HEART to fear thy name” (Psm. 86:11). David had and loved the fear of the Lord, and as he stated there, the heart that fears God has room for no other fear THAN the fear of God. And to further illustrate that the fear of God does NOT have torment, as worldly fear has, we have the powerful proverb that I love: “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence” (Prov. 14:26). 

Now I have just a small personal testimony here to illustrate these scriptural truths: I do God’s will, and I speak God’s words. I follow hard after his Spirit, and his love can be felt from me. So can his peace and his fear. Whenever someone finds it in themselves to try to intimidate me in some way, THEY are the one to blink first, not me. And it doesn’t matter who it is, because the reality is that the outcome of my conflicts are decided, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). That is a living, present reality with me, and those who are around me know it; whether they are of the number who like it, or among those who do not. And this reality exists with me simply because I make it my priority to “purify [myself], even as he is pure,” and that means every day (I Jn. 3:3). And that purifying includes keeping all worldly type of fear out of my heart, so that only the fear of God is left. And don’t misunderstand me, I’m not claiming some special place because of this reality, but rather it is one of the promises of God to all of his people who obey him implicitly: “For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him… There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the FEAR OF YOU and the DREAD OF YOU upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you” (Deut. 11:22,25). I can tell you by long experience that there is great benefit of people being afraid of you for the Lord’s sake, both for yourself and for them as well. So how much greater benefit is there for God’s people to fear him? And please, don’t try to turn the fear of God into some sweet little package of respect or reverence. We should have those things as well, but true godly fear is much more than just these things. All of the faithful saints that we read about in the Bible understood this, such as Jacob: “And he was AFRAID, and said , How DREADFUL is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:17). So did Moses: “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest… And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly FEAR and QUAKE” (Heb. 12:18,21). And so did the beloved John: “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire… And when I saw him, I fell at his feet AS DEAD” (Rev. 1:14,17). It is the devil and his wicked horde who persuade God’s people to hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. Jesus himself straightly commanded us to be afraid of God for the reason that we will end up in hell if we do NOT fear him (Lk. 12:4,5). The scripture plainly states that “by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil” (Prov. 16:6). And what if we do NOT “depart from evil?” Well, the Bible has that answer for us as well: “Follow peace with all men, and HOLINESS, without which NO MAN shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). I think that sufficiently says it. Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 5, 2013  

The God of Judgment
by Lary R. Hale

“Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?” (Mal. 2:17). “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isa. 30:8-10). There you have it my friend; one of the biggest problems that has bedeviled God’s people throughout history, and it’s for sure that today is no exception. I know it through my thirty years of preaching this gospel; people love to hear everything about promises, mercy, and hope; and simply turn a deaf ear to reproof, rebuke, and warning. That is a very serious and deadly spiritual disease my friend, and it is one that you want to flee as though it is EXACTLY that. As Malachi said, God’s people believe that those who are doing evil deceitfully in the sight of God are “saved,” and scorn the idea of God judging sin among his people. God’s people love to hear about the love of God, and hate to hear about the fear of God at the same time. If you think that you are a proponent of God’s love, but shy away from the concept of his fear and call it something else; you do not have a clue as to what the love of God is. The truth is that both of these elements are equally as big in the scriptures, and in reality they are inseparable. If you have one without the other, you actually have the wrong ‘one’ that you think you have. People love to hear about “going to heaven,” though in reality nobody actually goes there. The righteous dead are actually in paradise which is across a great divide from the flames of hell in the heart of the earth (Lk. 16:22-26). Nonetheless, everyone wants to hear about going to the right place, but start preaching about hell and you are nothing but a hardened, ranting and raving “hell fire and brimstone” preacher with no love. I have told people who who have come to my home worship and Bible study that they should consider themselves fortunate to have the opportunity to go somewhere that they could hear about dying and going to hell for disobedience against God. Someone should read the Bible a little more, and see that Jesus preached a HECK of a lot about hell fire (Lk. 12:4,5; Mk. 9:47,48; Mat. 5:22; Mat. 23;23; etc.). 

There is in fact only one reason that people do not like hearing about “the God of judgment,” and that is because they do not want to part with some sin or sins. It is truly that simple. Nothing hard, just easy math. It is the wicked who do not want to hear about judgment, chastening, rebuke, hell, and the like; because it is the wicked who have good reason to be afraid of, and offended by any and all of the above. In fact the wicked are afraid of just about everything, including their own shadow: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Prov. 28:1). And let’s not forget this unforgettable quote: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Tim. 1:7). So what is gained by being afraid of truth regarding judgment, reproof, chastening, hell, etc.? Well, ironically it is precisely the following: “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him” (Prov. 10:24). That is exactly right my friend; the judgment, the chastening, and the hell fire that the wicked has no heart to hear about, is in fact what he will inherit for his trouble. Anyone who loves the Spirit of God will love and love to hear about EVERYTHING that “the Spirit says unto [God’s people]” (Rev. 2:7). As Isaiah noted in the beginning of this article, the wicked among God’s people only want to have “smooth things” preached unto them. And the new testament writers and apostles said exactly the same thing: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; REPROVE, REBUKE, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Tim. 4:2-4). And what is the reward for those who preach the smooth things that people love to hear? “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (II Pet. 2:3). And just one more for good measure: “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Rom. 16:18). How about you friend? So do you my friend, as I do, absolutely love the real truth, regardless of what format it comes in? Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 4, 2013  

Holiness With Godly Fear
by Lary R. Hale

I would like to take a look today at the scriptural reality and truth that God has never changed anything about who he is. “And he [Elisha] went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them” (II Kin. 2:23,24). These children made a grave and fatal mistake when they chose to mock the mighty prophet Elisha, but what happened to them happened from the Lord, and with good reason. The prophet was just embarking on his ministry after God had taken Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind (II Kin. 2:11). If God had allowed this kind of mockery to go unchecked, it would have done nothing but spread and breed further contempt for the word of God that was in the prophet. I am certain that this one act of divine judgment was remembered in Israel for a good while, and made many afraid to revile God’s anointed servant. In other words, the point was graphically made. In the days of Samuel, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant in battle, and later sent it back to Israel after great affliction was incurred in Philistia because of its presence (I Sam. 1:1,7,11). When the ark landed in Bethshemesh the people made the grave error of opening it: “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?” (I Sam. 6:19,20). Once again, an act of divine judgment brought the fear of God on those who lived to tell about it. It amazes me how so many of God’s people today are somehow convinced that God has changed, and that the old covenant was a covenant of a judgmental God, whereas the new covenant is according to a merciful God. The changing of the covenants has not changed God, my friend. “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:6). “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17). “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). No friend, God has never changed who he is or what he’s about, not since he has been God in fact; and that has been a very, very long time.

Not long after the new covenant began, God made it very clear that he was and is STILL the God of judgment, as well as the God of mercy: “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all [God’s people], and upon as many as heard these things” (Acts 5:1-11). So what do you figure was the result of the “great fear” that came upon God’s people here? Well, I think it’s a safe bet to say that nobody even thought about lying after this, especially to an apostle of Christ. The bottom line here, as well as with Elisha and with the ark of the covenant in Bethshemesh, is that we cannot be saved in a condition of lightly esteeming God’s holiness, and those who uphold it to his people in truth. So while it is true that it is the judgment of God for such things to take place, it is also true that it is the LOVE of God for such judgments to come. Without God’s demonstration of great displeasure against despite for his holiness, there would be far less fear of God, and maybe none at all among his people. And the only sum total for such an equation my friend, is damnation for any and all who do not do “the whole duty of man,” which is to “fear God, and keep his commandments” (Eccl. 12:13). The Bible plainly shows that it is the wicked who do not fear God, and also that those who do not fear God will not be saved: “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes” (Psm. 36:1). And, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” (Psm. 1:5). Amen.

Original Post at By One Spirit Ministries Facebook page March 3, 2013