His Heart’s Desire News – April 2021 - His Heart's Desire Ministries

(This newsletter contains a preview of my newest book, His Banner over Me Is Sustaining Love, that will be released this summer.)

Happy Spring, everyone!

I love this time of year—the time when we see signs of new life springing up everywhere.

Daffodils and lilacs.

Singing doves, robins, bluejays, and sitting on our swing in the backyard with our regal beagle, Joe, enjoying his silly antics and soaking up the sunshine.

I have been thinking about starting a newsletter for some time now.

A way we can keep inquiring minds informed on what is going on with His Heart’s Desire Ministries.

His Heart’s Desire Ministries was established as a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation (your donations are tax-deductible) in November 2006, so we are in our fifteenth year of ministry.

We held weekend retreats for women called “Your Bridegroom Awaits!” from 2007 to 2015.

The purpose of this special weekend was to help each Christian woman realize that Christ is her Spiritual Bridegroom, and that she is His lovely bride. (Believing men are, too, but our retreats were just for women.)

While preparing, delivering, and tweaking the retreat messages, God kept drawing me to the Old Testament book of the Song of Solomon.

I believe that this book was strategically placed at the center of our Bibles because the message contained in it is central to God’s heart.

Its allegorical interpretation represents the Ultimate Romance between Christ and His bride, the church (all Christians).

In July 2008, I began writing a verse-by-verse study on the Song.

I had never written a book before (I taught high school math for thirteen years), but I trusted that God was inspiring this new venture.

There was a lot that I still did not understand about the beauty of the new covenant, but I was learning and growing in grace (still am!).

I completed His Banner over Me Is Love in January 2010, led over forty women through it, and received a lot of encouraging feedback.

When the pilot study was complete, I sensed that God wanted me to put it on a shelf while I continued to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).

At the beginning of 2012, God led me to divide the study into three parts: His Banner over Me Is Pursuing Love (Chapters 1–2), His Banner over Me Is Sustaining Love (Chapters 3–5), and His Banner over Me Is Transforming Love (Chapters 6–8).

I also bought a self-publishing package through WestBow Press, the Christian self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson (at that time).

Five years later, in September 2017, His Banner over Me Is Pursuing Love went live on Amazon and other online bookstores and received rave reviews:

“Learning how to receive and experience God’s relentless pursuing love is the greatest life-transforming truth we can embrace. His Banner Over Me Is Pursuing Love is the most thorough teaching I have ever read on the Song of Solomon from a new covenant perspective. Kim Francis has written a masterpiece that invites us all to receive, believe, and be transformed by God’s pursuing love.”—Donald Campbell, Operation 220 Executive Director

“I never write book reviews so you know this has to be a good book for me to take the time to do so. I have read lots of books and done lots of Bible Studies in my 65 years. I have never seen one that takes a familiar book from the Bible and does such a good job of interpreting it in the light of the New Covenant. Her combination of word studies, personal experiences, interactive video and music videos, and narrative made this an absolutely delightful study. I really didn’t want it to end. At an important juncture in my life, God has used it to remind me how faithful He is to His beloved. I would encourage anyone who is fighting a battle in their mind over what God is like or how He thinks about them to read this book slowly and take time to do all of the exercises. It is well written and very relevant to today’s woman. I can’t wait for Vol 2!” —K. Haecker, Amazon review

Toward the end of 2018, friends encouraged me to write a devotional based on the study.

Also, at that time, I severed my connection with WestBow Press (they were super expensive—very little bang for your buck), gave my book cover a facelift, and learned how to self-publish through Amazon.

In February 2019, Fifty Days in His Pursuing Love Devotional went live:

I like to describe this devotional as “Jesus Calling Meets The Naked Gospel” because it is written in the style of Jesus speaking directly to you, but it is saturated with New Covenant truth.

It, too, received high praise from readers:

“If you are someone who struggles with doubting God loves you or find it challenging to rest in His love this book is for you. If you struggle to know who you are ‘in Christ’ this book is for you! If you are a busy person or have limited time to sit and read you will love the short chapters. I loved this format. The author has added numerous scriptures to look up so you can dig deeper and spend more personal time with your Savior. I was personally encouraged as I have taken a new professional step of faith by the words, ‘Everything I inspire you to do, I empower you to do. Rest in knowing I’ve got your back in everything, regardless of what it may look like in the natural realm.’ As a counselor, I appreciated her chapter entitled ‘You are a Victor, Not a Victim.’ I will refer others to this book in my counseling practice.”—DanKen, Amazon review

“Upon opening this book it was easy to feel Kim’s passion to teach the truth of the New Covenant and our unbreakable closeness to God. Her gift of communicating biblical truths in this laid-back, devotional form, had me at ease and agreeing, page by page. If you are new to Christianity, or if you’ve scoured the “do more, be more, try harder” teachers—stop. Read this book. The foundations of God’s love through Christ are explained so thoroughly and enjoyably.”—Matt McMillen, bestselling Amazon author

In the spring of 2020, right at the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown, I did a 50-Day Facebook Live Journey into this book where I read each day’s devotional and elaborate on it.

Since then, I have been busy writing the second installment in my study series: His Banner over Me Is Sustaining Love over the Song of Solomon, Chapters 3–5, and plan to have it published by the end of this summer.

Here is a preview:

I want to clarify what I mean by partnering together with Christ in sharing the gospel and helping other believers grow. I am not saying that every Christian will stand behind a pulpit, participate in door-to-door evangelism, teach a Bible class, or travel overseas to a foreign mission field. We are all re-created in Christ to be unique expressions of His loving life wherever we are planted. Will I let Christ live through me and love others through me no matter where I am or what I am doing? is the underlying question to consider as we go about each day (Rom. 15:18).

Christ has not called those who belong to Him to a passive lifestyle in this world. Yes, His work of redemption is finished, and those who believe in Him don’t have to do one good work to maintain their salvation (John 6:28–29; Eph. 1:7). It is a done deal forever, and that is wonderful news! (John 19:30). However, there are many exhortations in God’s Word spurring believers to “do” something.

So, what, specifically, are believers called to do as we go about our daily lives? The apostle Paul writes, “Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). He also exhorts believers to “Walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 25). And in Colossians 3:3, he admonishes the church to “Set your mind on the things above.” The apostle John tells us, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another” (1 John 3:23).

Clearly, we Christians are not called to sit on our hands, but to actively participate in what our Beloved is doing in this world. What an incredible privilege we have in that we get to be ourselves and express Christ at the same time. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we are Christ. There’s only one God and we are not Him. We are “Christ in me.” There is not, nor will there ever be, a you apart from Christ. You are “Christ in you” and you get to let Him fuel your living.

Because your desires already perfectly match His, your only part is to depend on His supernatural life within your spirit to provide the strength to carry out your shared passion. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you already have the “want to” and His power within you to express His cherishing love and exuberant life?

I hope you enjoyed that snippet from my newest book.

As soon as I publish His Banner over Me Is Sustaining Love, I will start writing Fifty Days in His Sustaining Love Devotional.

Then after that, His Banner over Me Is Transforming Love over Song of Solomon, Chapters 6–8.

Then, Fifty Days in His Transforming Love Devotional.

Then, last but not least, the prequel to all six books: Knowing Christ as Spiritual Bridegroom.

The basis of all my writing is to help all believers (not just the women of the bride of Christ) live loved in Christ through understanding their flawless identity in Him.

There are many Christians who are weighed down by legalism, living under a mixture of law and grace—which is not good news at all.

The Good News of the gospel of grace really is the best news ever, and it is my passion to herald this amazing news!

This brings me to our current ministry news.

For the past fifteen years, I have been living the dream—sharing the Good News of grace through teaching, writing, blogging, and social media.

I want to keep doing this so that I can finish the remaining five books on my bucket list.

One month ago, my husband, Steven, left his job of twenty-two years, and today he starts a brand-new job working for the City of Perryton. (Thank You, Lord, for Your provision!)

Throughout this past month, we began to entertain the possibility that God might be calling me back to teaching secondary math full-time in order to help meet our monthly expenses (deep sigh).

But through much prayer, circumstances, and a long-time friend of the ministry, He made it clear to us that’s not what He wants.

He wants to finish what He started.

In the past fifteen years since the ministry’s inception, I have not drawn a salary.

In order for me to keep writing and communicating the best news ever, I will need to start receiving a paycheck from the ministry.

In order to do this, we will need to depend on regular support.

If His Heart’s Desire Ministries has blessed you in any way, would you prayerfully consider giving a one-time donation or becoming a regular donor?

We are trusting in His provision to keep this writing ministry going!

Regardless of whether or not you are able to give financially, we would appreciate your prayers for the ministry.

We would also love to pray for your needs, so please contact us.

Together, we can reach many with the Good News of the gospel of God’s amazing grace and help others live loved in Christ through understanding their flawless identity in Him!

Living Loved in Christ,