Abdu Murray. Aletheia International Embrace the Truth - No Matter the Cost

Transcription

1 Abdu Murray Aletheia International Embrace the Truth - No Matter the Cost

2 - Biography ABDU is a co-founder and the President of Aletheia International, which is an apologetics-based ministry dedicated to offering the Truth of the Gospel to Muslims, Jews, cult members, and skeptics. Abdu was born into a Muslim family that greatly encouraged his studies of the Qur'an, Islamic doctrine, and Islamic history. During the course of a years-long investigation into the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the major world religions, Abdu discovered that only the evidence for the historic Christian faith could withstand the toughest challenges. The results of Abdu s intense search, coupled with the Lord s drawing of his heart, led him to put his faith in Jesus as the one and only sufficient Savior. Since that time, Abdu has dedicated his ministry to reaching non-christians, especially Muslims, with the Gospel and teaching Christians to do the same. Abdu has spoken in numerous venues both in the United States and internationally, including churches, convention centers, and college campuses. He has been a featured guest on radio talk shows across the United States and on numerous national and international television programs, including CBN s Newswatch, the Aramaic Broadcasting Network, Eye Opener, TCT Alive!, and Muslim Journey to Hope on the Inspiration Network. Abdu has published articles in a variety of settings, including internet articles for the North American Missions Board that have been translated into many languages. His first book, Apocalypse Later - Why the Gospel of Peace Must Trump the Politics of Prophecy in the Middle East, has been released by Kregel Publications and is available in bookstores. In 1999, Abdu earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. He earned his Bachelor s Degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the Evangelical Theological Society, and maintains active relationships with many ministries, including InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade for Christ, and the North American Missions Board. Abdu lives in the Detroit, Michigan area with his wife and their three children.

3 Fact Sheet!!!!!!!! DATE OF BIRTH: February 18, 1973 PLACE OF BIRTH: Detroit, Michigan RESIDENCE: Southeastern Michigan PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER of Aletheia International, a 501(c)(3) recognized organization dedicated to offering the truth of the gospel to Muslims, Jews, cult members, and skeptics through the use of apologetics, testimony, and respect for the individual and to equip Christians to do the same. TELEVISION: Guest on the internationally-broadcast Aramaic Broadcasting Network Interviewed on Dallas-area television show, For Such a Time as This Featured on Eye Opener, Michigan-based Christian talk show 2005 Featured on Muslim Journey to Hope, international broadcast produced by The Inspiration Network 2005 Featured on TCT Alive!, Christian cable talk show 2004 Featured on Eye Opener, Michigan-based Christian talk show RADIO: Interviewed on nationally-syndicated SRN News, Washington D.C. Featured guest on The Gino Geraci Show, KRKS, Denver

4 Interviewed on The Bob Dutko Show, WMUZ, Detroit Interviewed on The Bob Wells Show, KJSL, St. Louis Interviewed on The Paul Edwards Show, WLQV, Detroit Interviewed on Crawford Broadcasting s nationally-syndicated Defending the Truth Multiple interviews on Equipped for Life with Christopher Brooks, WLQV, Detroit 2007 Interviewed on The Paul Edward Show, WLQV, Detroit 2006, 2007, 2008, Repeat featured guest and panelist on The Bob Dutko Show, WMUZ, Detroit NOTABLE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: National Christian Book Expo - Workshop and book signing regarding Apocalypse Later - Why the Gospel of Peace Must Trump the Politics of Prophecy in the Middle East University of Michigan - Repeated speaking engagements and debates sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Wayne State University - Answering the Challenge - Guest Panelist in evangelistic/ apologetics outreach to university students and faculty Wayne State University - Repeated speaking engagements and debates sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Urbana 06, St. Louis, Missouri - co-presented seminar with Jews for Jesus Cumberland Assembly of God, Cumberland, Maryland - Missions Week Jesus for Muslims Banquet, New Jersey - Exposing Truth s Cost, Sharing Truth s Worth Kensington Community Church, Troy, Michigan - Repeated guest speaker Bethesda Christian Church, Sterling Heights, Michigan - Repeated guest speaker Community Christian Church, Sterling Heights, Michigan - Repeated guest speaker EDUCATION: 1999 Juris Doctor, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor 1995 Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, Psychology, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor James B. Angell Scholar, Class Honors 1991 State University of New York at Buffalo - Full Athletic Scholarship for Division I NCAA Basketball

5 Publications!!!!!!! Apocalypse Later - Why the Gospel of Peace Must Trump the Politics of Prophecy in the Middle East. Kregel Publications, Many evangelicals have used the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as fodder for debates over how to interpret prophecy, instead of seeing it as the human tragedy that it is. In Apocalypse Later, former Muslim Abdu Murray urges Christians to change their focus from eschatology to the gospel of Jesus Christ and equips Christians to demonstrate to non-believers that the gospel, and the gospel alone, provides credible answers to the deepest questions that come from conflict. Jesus, Justification, and Justice - North American Missions Board, 4truth.net Abdu responds to a common objection to the heart of the Christian faith, specifically that Jesus sacrifice on the Cross cannot effectively atone for sins. Using his legal background, Abdu provides an appropriate analogy to show that Jesus atonement on the Cross actually provides a coherent means by which God s justice is satisfied, while His infinite love is expressed. Verdict - The Bi-Monthly Newsletter of Aletheia International Numerous articles spanning nearly five years, covering topics from Islam, atheism, Eastern religions, Christian cults, Christian intellectualism, and current affairs.

6 Speaking Topics!!!!! If you would like Abdu to speak at your church, university, or other venue, below is a list of topics Abdu is prepared to cover. If you have another topic you would like Abdu to address, please contact Aletheia International at mail@embracethetruth.org Islam from the Inside As a former Muslim, Abdu is familiar with the doctrines of Islam, the world s second largest religion, and one of the fastest growing faiths. As he explains important Islamic theological points and dispels common misconceptions, Abdu teaches Christians powerful ways to share the Jesus of the Bible with Muslims. Along the way, Abdu shares the story of how he met Jesus, how he was impacted by the evidence for Christianity, and how this changed his life forever. Sorrow, Justice, and Love - A Defense of the Gospel as the Solution to Conflict Following the themes in his book, Apocalypse Later - Why the Gospel of Peace Must Trump the Politics of Prophecy in the Middle East, Abdu demonstrates how Christians are losing important opportunities to share the credibility of the Gospel with Jews and Muslims by focusing on eschatology and prophecy when addressing the Middle East conflict. Using sound Biblical teaching and apologetics, Abdu teaches Christians how to capture the minds and hearts of Muslims and Jews by showing that the Gospel alone offers profound answers to the issues that come from conflict and suffering. The Uniqueness of Christ Among Worldviews Every major worldview, whether religious or secular, competes for our attention by claiming to have answers to life s most important questions. Abdu looks at four major worldviews, atheism/skepticism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and compares their fundamental tenets with those of classical Christianity to show that the Gospel provides the only answers worth trusting to life s critical questions. Exposing Truth s Cost, Sharing Truth s Worth It has been said, We know what things cost, but we don t know what they re worth. This seems especially true when it comes to our deepest convictions. When offering the

7 truth of the Gospel to others, Christians often encounter emotional objections disguised as moral or intellectual objections. Drawing on his personal experience in coming to Christ as a former Muslim and sharing the Gospel with others, Abdu provides a powerful way for Christians to get those with whom they are sharing the Gospel to confront their emotional barriers and fears so that the credibility of the Gospel message can be sincerely and freely examined. Suffering, Significance, and Tsunamis - Can the Biblical God Exist in a World Filled with Evil? Natural disasters, human evil, and even animal suffering have been posed by skeptics as one of the most significant challenges to theistic belief. But can any theistic faith offer a credible answer to the challenge of the so-called Problem of Evil? Looking to the historic Christian faith and the evidence for it, Abdu addresses this tough philosophical problem and demonstrates that it can be and has been answered at the Cross of Christ. The CASE for Jesus Resurrection Jesus resurrection from the dead three days after being crucified is the central event that validates the Christian faith. Conversely, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is false. But is there historical evidence to substantiate this fundamental tenet of Christianity? Using a memorable acronym, C-A-S-E, Abdu demonstrates that the majority of historical scholarship, both Christian and non-christian, agree on four key facts that can only be explained by Jesus resurrection. Darwin, Jesus, and Morality - Which Worldview Makes Sense of Objective Moral Values? Skeptics have increasingly abandoned moral subjectivism (the idea that morals are a matter of preference or relative to a culture) in favor of moral realism (the idea that morality is based on an objective view of right and wrong, regardless of preference or culture). The new atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris, have sold millions of books attacking the moral basis for belief in God and argue that one can still be an atheist and have an objective basis for morality. Abdu discusses these ideas and demonstrates that there is no basis for objective morality on a naturalistic framework and that only belief in God provides that basis.