We recently connected with Jonathan Hayashi and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
So much of who I am today is in answer to my mother’s prayers for me. She has a special love for the Japanese people and has found a way to serve God by serving them. Her ministry is to translate the book “Our Daily Bread” into Japanese for the nation. Her prayers have been transforming the hearts and live of my two brothers and myself.
At age 16, for the very first time in my life, I decided to profess Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of the Father. It was then, I met a Pastor who shared the gospel with me and for the very first time in my life, I decided to profess Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of the Father. My life has never been the same since meeting Jesus. Everything changed when Christ came into my life.
I have been a Christian for over 16 years now. Since then God has begun to pull me out of the darkened valleys and has let me walk in His righteous path. The Lord has taught me how to be a genuine believer throughout this journey with Him. I know I am saved because God has radically changed my life. He is my constant companion. Jesus radically restored my life. He dearly loved me first with His unconditional love and then called me His own son. I was once heading straight to hell, but Jesus has saved me from that eternal condemnation. This truth drives me to what I am today; To pastor and share this truth of the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Mark Dever the pastor of the Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. said, “We believe the local church is the focal point of God’s plan for displaying his glory to the nations. Our vision is simple’; Churches that reflect the character of God.” (The Nature and Purpose of the Church: 9 Marks of the Church) The world is in desperate need of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Not another NGO, social justice movement or government funding, but a church that solely Christo-centric in their endeavor to help know, love and follow Jesus alone. That is the very reason, why I am so passionate about the local church, for it is the heartbeat of God.
Today, simply all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as a monument of His grace. “How is it possible? What happened?” I know it simply by this. Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I was born in a family with a mother who was a devout believer but a father who was a dogmatic atheist. I can remember my childhood, how my father had a major anger problem and physically abused my mother and I was in great fear of him. In spite of the situation, I got on my on my knees many nights beside my bed and prayed, “Jesus, please save my Dad.” Things simply escalated and gotten worst. I began to doubt God and eventually I walked away from Him.
At age 12, I began spending time with gang members and became addicted to the behavioral pattern of this sinful world. I was a very angry, depressed youth. By age 15, I decided to run away from home. I was a morally corrupt, sin-loving God hater. Then, in September, I was caught by the police. I got kicked out of school, left the gang, and left the girl I was with, and instead I began to seek the Lord. At age 15, I became a carpenter without any hope but Jesus.
I met a Pastor soon after named Pastor K. There was something different about this man. This man was filled with joy and love. When all other Christians avoided and despised me, he drew near to me and encouraged me. All church folks greeted him and loved him. He treated me as if I was his own son. “Pastor, what is the secret?”, I asked. I still can vividly recall till this day, as he sat across of me he said, “Jonathan, God loved me, saved me, and changed me. That is more than enough.”
Who can boast in their own flesh? Who can fathom to understand the depth of his infinite wisdom, his everlasting mercy, his grace that is sufficient? As the old saying goes, “Nothing in my hands I bring, but simply to the cross I cling” Oh, Crown him with many crowns the Lord upon His throne! Bring forth a royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. No man can boast but simply in the cross. He is worthy. My Jesus came to me, and he took away my sin, and took away my shame. Even though I was a great sinners, though I was the lowest of the low, and even though I had nothing to offer, Jesus came to me and saved me.
After I was saved, God opened the opportunity for me to go back to high school. Upon my graduation, I went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. I completed my undergraduate at MBI (B.A. in Pastoral Ministry, 2012) and completed a master’s degree in Moody Theological Seminary (M.A. in Pastoral Congregational Leadership) in 2014. I served in as an Assistant Pastor at Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois for over 4 years. Then I served as one of the Pastoral Staff at Troy First Baptist Church in Greater St. Louis, MO for approximately 6 years. For y the grace of God, in December of 2020, I have completed the degree of Doctorate of education of ministry in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Ed.Min Louisville, KY).
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
What comes to your mind when you hear, “Grace-Filled Joy”? This is personally one of my favorite core values of our church. Why? Because, when I hear those words, I think of Jesus. I also think of Richie who was my Senior Pastor and I remember going on a visitation and asking the question, “Richie, how do you do it? How do you not get bitter and cynical about being in ministry for 50 years?”
He said, “I pray to God that he gives me grace to carry on. I ask God to help me see others as you see them. Help me to love others as Jesus loved them.” When I am bitter toward someone, I am not living in grace but in sin. By not living in grace, I may foolishly think my anger is righteous. Don’t fool yourself.
Instead when you live by Grace? God filled joy in Christ produces what you and I can’t. That’s a gospel statement. Grace leads us to forgive mean people. Grace leads us to say, “Father, forgive them,” as Jesus said on the cross.
Pray something like this often, especially when you are facing opposition and difficulty as a leader. “Father, give me the supernatural ability to forgive Mr. Know-it-all Knucklehead, just like Christ forgave me, the chief of “knuckle-headedness.”
When leaders or Christians go through hardship, we tend to drift away and isolate ourselves from others. Don’t do that! God created us for relationships and community. I see this as the number 1 mistake many pastors make. God himself is in a relationship as the source of “joy” between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Pray something like this, “Lord Jesus, cause me to have regular moments filled with the joy” As Scripture says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11).
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Ps 16:11).
It has been a challenging couple of years. Personally, the last 2 years or so have perhaps been the most disruptive and draining time in my life. It has been the most difficult 2 years to survive navigating through making many very difficult decisions.
But, the way to joyfully grow in Christ and lead others to joyfully grow in Christ is to depend daily on Jesus. The weak moments of my leadership over the past 12 + years of ministry have been in those moments when I was not looking to Jesus but rather focused on the difficulty. All of those required grace-filled joy.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The life of Dwight Lyman Moody and his words forever changed my life. Perhaps it is the life most frequently attributed and quoted and cherished by man, to Dwight L. Moody said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”
Who would have thought a man stacking size 9 and size 10 shoes a nobody became the worlds’s greatest evangelist that people speak till this day? An extremely average man without much talent or potential left a great mark in history. Who had a 5th grade level of english by the time he was saved, (1855 age 18 years old) by the end of his life spoke to over 100 million people with the evangelic campaign throughout all the world? Eventually became the who founder of the The Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now Northfield Mount Hermon School), the Moody Bible Institute (Moody Theological Seminary), and also Moody Publisher.
A poorly educated, unordained, shoe salesman who felt God’s call to preach the gospel. If Moody was able to do it, I too am able to do it! I remember my first year at Moody Bible Institute, we had our new president that was installed (President Paul Nyquist) and spoke on what his goal for the students as if it were yesterday. He answered by saying, “If 1% of the MBI students will serve God wholeheartedly, we will turn the world upside down.” I felt as though God tapped on my heart and pressed these words ‘Jonathan, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.’ Under the power of those words I echoed the words as Moody did, I too aim to be that one. I felt such great urgency by the power of the Holy Spirit that I must not let more time pass but to give all of life in light of the great need waste no longer this life of mine for the sake of the gospel.
D.L.Moody recognized this important principle as well, “When D.L. Moody arrived in Chicago… he was warned to stay away from an area of town known as ‘Little Hell.’ Few Chicagoans ventured into this area characterized by gambling, fighting, prostitution, and drug addiction. Even the police had little presence there. Dr. Lyle Dorsett, in his extraordinary biography on the life of D.L. Moody A passion for Souls reiterates, ‘Moody was one of the few who had the audacity and courage to go into the worst district of Chicago, the Sands. ‘Sometimes called ‘Little Hell,’ this is where Moody went to rescue souls.” We already have enough people who are, “Bench warmers” in the pews and think Christianity is a spectator sports.
We wonder why revival doesn’t break forth in our community. Where are all the Christians? I have been lately asking this daunting question that we all have avoided with all our lives. We are to be the salt and light seasoned by God’s grace and the sweetness of the fragrance of Christ aroma holding to the teachings of the scriptures and truth of Christ, certainly there will be a changed. We must see every person simply more than a number but all made in the image of God. For every number has a name, and every name has a story. We must be able to recognize the gospel more like every day process than an one time event.
Contact Info:
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