Nick Baines - Freedom Is Coming: From Advent to Epiphany with the Prophet Isaiah

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Nick Baines has produced six weeks of daily reflections for Advent and the Christmas period that combine his unique skills of communication, creativity and clarity with a deep grasp of both the ancient world of Isaiah and our current context and culture. As Nick navigates the parallels between the struggles and questions of Isaiahs day and the world into which, centuries later, Jesus was born, he also provides us with the chance to ask what we might learn about holding on to our sense of Gods faithfulness and hope for the future within the pressures and challenges of twenty-first-century life.

Steve Chalke , founder and leader, Oasis Global

This is a great book, comprised of a series of deep but accessible reflections on the text of Isaiah. I cant think of a better way to spend Advent!

Paula Gooder , Canon Chancellor of St Pauls Cathedral, London

Like the prophet he writes about, Nick Baines has the gift of dispelling illusions without leaving us disillusioned. In the spirit of Isaiah, he has a wise take on the world and who we have become alongside a belief that theology is not a hobby but a means of survival and renewed imagination.

Mark Oakley , Dean of St Johns College, Cambridge

Nick Baines book reminds us that the story of Christmas is one chapter of a grand story, a story that has its roots deep in the Old Testament. He brings out both challenge and hope from living Advent side by side with the story of Gods people in Isaiah. A great book to take us through Advent.

Justin Welby , Archbishop of Canterbury

The Rt Revd Nick Baines , is the Bishop of Leeds. Previously he was the Bishop of Bradford and, prior to that, the Bishop of Croydon.

He read German and French at Bradford University and, before ordination, worked for four years as a Russian linguist at GCHQ.

Indeed, Nicks particular expertise lies in communication. He has nearly 15,000 followers on Twitter and his blog has been viewed more than 2 million times. He is regularly heard on Radio 2 and Radio 4, is often asked to comment nationally on topical issues and has written seven books on Christian faith.

Nick has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014, leading on Europe, Russia, Sudan, security and intelligence. He has represented the Archbishop of Canterbury at international faith conferences and, for 11 years, was the English Co-chair of the Meissen Commission, which develops relationships between the Church of England and the EKD (Protestant Church in Germany). Preaching frequently in Germany in German Nick also has a keen interest in music, literature, art, film, theatre and Liverpool FC. Hes married to Linda (a health visitor and artist) and they have three adult children and three grandchildren.

First published in Great Britain in 2019

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Copyright Nick Baines 2019

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked kjv are taken from the Authorized Version of the Bible (The King James Bible), the rights in which are vested in the Crown, and are reproduced by permission of the Crowns Patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicized edition). Copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. niv is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 9780281082919

eBook ISBN 9780281082926

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

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First printed in Great Britain by Jellyfish Print Solutions

Subsequently digitally reprinted in Great Britain

eBook by Manila Typesetting Company

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