Sojourner #031: Running For Ukraine - Standing For The Truth

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

Yesterday morning, on April 5, 2025, people from across the United States and around the world gathered together to stand for the truth and run for Ukraine - a nation currently caught up in the middle of brutal war, valiantly defending itself against a vicious invader that seeks to destroy all that they hold dear, including their faith in Christ. 

The Sojourner Boxing Club, a division of Sojourner Magazine, organized a 5k / 1mi run in cooperation with The Bible Today, a Christian media organization based in Ukraine. Participants in the free event were given the opportunity to give directly to The Bible Today to support their ongoing missions efforts, particularly, the production and distribution of portable audio Bibles to Ukrainians on the front lines. 

In many parts of Ukraine, especially near the fighting, it can be difficult to access any information from the outside world, much less the truth of the Scriptures, due to constant Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. As you can imagine, this creates major problems. 

The Scriptures, which are the infallible, inspired, and inerrant Words of God, are completely sufficient to comfort God's people in their distress and bring about an effective and lasting change in Ukraine, but the Gospel is only good news if it gets there in time. 

To borrow from the Apostle Paul, how can they believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching? (Rom. 10:14).

To combat this issue, The Bible Today has recorded the Psalms in Ukrainian on portable audio players that they regularly distribute to wounded soldiers on the front lines of the war. 

Andrii Chornomor, a member of an all volunteer Ukrainian medical battalion that fights "for the sake of every life", is the voice behind each audio Bible, speaking the truth of God's Word to all who receive an audio Bible from The Bible Today. 

Expressing his gratitude to those who gave to support The Bible Today, he said: "Thank you very much for your support and help. We feel that we are not alone in this terrible war when other countries and people are with us."

Here at Sojourner Magazine, we are thankful for everyone who took part in the event benefitting The Bible Today, and we are profoundly thankful for the work that they do across Ukraine each and every day. 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it. The good news of Jesus Christ advances even in the middle of war, and across the world, there are those who would use their voices to take a stand for what is true and right and good - no matter the cost.

Yesterday, people gathered to run, but the race is far from over. 

There is still work to be done, there are still those who need help - who need the light of Christ to shine in the midst of great darkness. That is why we join with others who have elected to rage against the present darkness and run headlong into the night, carrying our torches.

Wherever you are in the world, we invite you to stand (and run) with us. Use your voice to stand for the truth of the Gospel, to support God's people, and to glorify His name among the nations. 

If you would like to give to support The Bible Today, visit their website or send us an email to learn more about this incredible Ukrainian organization that is doing great work for the Kingdom of God that will echo for eternity.

A Special Message From Andrii Chornomor:

Photo Gallery: (Click images for full resolution)

Editor's Note: If you participated in the Sojourner Magazine x The Bible Today 5k / 1mi run & walk, and you would like your photos to be included in the photo gallery, please send us an email at sojournermagazine@gmail.com

The Bible Today: A Christian Media Organization

The Bible Today (TBT) is a Christian media organization with over 25 years of experience in creating and distributing original media content. Their mission is to connect global Biblical values with topics and questions relevant to everyone today. They aim to guide people toward the truth that transforms lives and builds the future.

Visit their Website here, and visit the (English) Youtube Channel here.

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Visit the Sojourner Magazine Website here.

About the Sojourner Boxing Club: 

The Sojourner Boxing Club is an international organization that was founded in 2024 in an effort to magnify the name of Christ among the nations through the development of a Biblical theology of health and fitness.

In our endeavor to better live out the Kingdom mandate given to us by God and to be good stewards of the resources that God has graciously afforded to us, it is vital that we keep our eyes firmly fixed where they ought to be. 

The Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us that our chief aim in life is to honor God. Before anything else, we must honor Him whose Kingdom endures forever and ever, whose dominion has no end. Our goal in life should not be to amass worldly treasures and pursue fleeting pleasures, no, it should be to give glory to His name. 

From this vantage, we begin to see things differently. 

The fitness world today is full of vain, self-glorifying, sensual self-idolatry that promotes an un-Biblical model for personal identity and fitness. To many, the temptation may be to flee from maintaining physical fitness altogether in the name of fleeing from temptation. 

Yet, as those who have put on Christ, our desire should be to find the Biblical approach to stewarding the bodies that God has given us in a way that honors Him. The believer who has been radically changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ is free to pursue God’s glory in all areas - by faith. The law has been written on their hearts and they will spend the remainder of their days being sanctified by God until their final glorification.

In this state of being between two worlds - a citizen of heaven sojourning here below - the believer must be equipped to face adversity and trial, to serve those around them, to teach sound doctrine, to defend the truth, to love the least of these, and ultimately to give their very lives for the sake of the Gospel.

Their concern cannot be for vain pursuits; therefore, the application for physical fitness becomes clear: 

• Those who belong to Christ must seek to honor Him with their lives. 

• They should be strong. 

• They should run with endurance. 

• They should not merely shadowbox - they should step into the area. 

Not merely to receive an earthly prize, but to bring glory to His name.

Simply, while Christians should seek to maintain their physical bodies, their greater ambition should be to grow in Christ’s likeness. This Club is designed to aid believers in that effort.

The Apostle Paul addresses this in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Accordingly, the Sojourner Boxing Club is for those who will press on to know the Lord, who will seek to honor Him with their lives, who will race to receive an eternal prize that will never pass away, who will step into the arena and fight for His glory, and for those would lay day their lives so others might live.

Visit the Sojourner Boxing Club Website here.

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