Chapter 7
A Sunny Afternoon in Hell
Jude 22–23
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
You may be intrigued by the title: How can it be sunny in Hell?
As I mentioned earlier, I was born in Bradford, which has a football team called Bradford City. I remember standing behind the goal at City’s Valley Parade ground many times. It was an old stadium, with crumbling terraces and an ageing wooden main stand.
They were the first winners of the FA Cup in 1911, but by the 1980s they had fallen on hard times and were playing in the third highest league in England. However, in the 1984–85 season, they had a young and exciting team. They stormed to the division title, and the last game of the season, on 11 May, was meant to be a celebration.
I wanted a ticket, so I called my brother. He was going with his children but was unwilling to get me one, so I phoned the club myself and secured a ticket. I drove to the ground that day.
The stadium was swarming with people. It was a joyous occasion. I sat toward the far end of the main stand. It was a sunny day, but the wind was blowing strongly down the valley where the ground was situated.
It was a poor match. One of the players suffered a serious injury, and the game was dull. About five minutes before half-time, I felt the need to go to the toilet, but something stopped me. I clearly felt, Don’t go. I believe this was the Lord stopping me. If I had gone to the back of the stand, I would have been killed.
No sooner had I settled back into my seat than I heard laughter behind me. Then I saw smoke rising from the seats. Someone had dropped a cigarette, and it had fallen through a crack in the flooring, igniting rubbish beneath the stand.
We were pushed forward, and soon we had to climb, or be pulled, over the wall and onto the pitch. By now the flames were overwhelming. The fire had reached the roof, which was covered in highly combustible felt cladding.
I wandered around on the pitch, searching for my brother and his family, who had been seated in the next section. I remember asking myself, If this is the heat of a fire, what will Hell be like? Total fire and destruction for those who do not trust Christ.
Fifty-six people died that day. Lives were changed forever.
Devotional Thought
For Christians reading this, please consider the following.
This should be our greatest motivation. We ourselves have been pulled out of the fire, so we should seek to rescue others from the fire of Hell.
Some people that day were heroes. They helped those who were on fire. I remember walking past the goalmouth and seeing two bodies lying there. This is the situation in the world today. People are dying every minute of every day, and the church and many Christians stand idly by, doing nothing.
I once heard the story of a man being interviewed for a job as an usher in a cinema. He was asked:
"What would you do if a fire broke out?"
He replied:
"I would be fine. I would make sure I was safe."
That is how many Christians live.
They have salvation, or so they believe, but they have no care or compassion for those who are perishing all around them.
Spurgeon said:
“The world lies in darkness… If you have found the remedy, tell the diseased about it. If you have found life, proclaim it to the dead. If you have found liberty, publish it to the captives. If you have found Christ, tell of Him to others…”
This memory remains vivid for me. It is a day of sorrow for those who died, but also a day of deep thankfulness that the Lord preserved me.
Let me tell you: it is not enough to attend church, to give to missions, to belong to social media groups, or even to write devotions.
For anyone who has not trusted Christ, life is very short. Many who died that day were young and looking forward to long lives, but suddenly life was gone.
Please do not delay. The day of salvation is now.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Chapter 8
The World’s Grasp
1 John 2:15–17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world...
17 And the world passeth away… but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
During the final two years of my hospital employment (1987–1989), I attended night school to study Business Studies and Computing. I obtained basic diplomas in both. When my job ended, I planned to pursue a National Diploma at my local college while still living at home.
However, I saw an advertisement in the Bradford newspaper for a two-year full-time course at Bradford and Ilkley Community College, so I returned to my birthplace.
I loved the lectures and felt intellectually stretched. These were subjects I truly enjoyed.
In our first year, we had to create an investment portfolio and produce a business plan for a real business. Two fellow students, Mark and Jacqui, and I decided to design an organic restaurant. We worked through costings, locations, menus, and operational planning, then submitted our project for assessment. We received a distinction.
In my final year, I achieved five distinctions out of seven subjects.
Although I loved college, my life completely forgot God and the church. I did not live immorally, but God was absent from my life. I enjoyed concerts, theatre, and culture. My friend Mark used to call me a “culture vulture.”
During my second year, I became friendly with a girl. Nothing improper happened, but we spent time together socially. Eventually, the friendship faded.
We graduated in June 1991. I applied for many jobs, but no one was interested. Many of my peers continued into a BA in Business Studies, but foolishly, and partly to impress this girl, I chose to pursue accounting qualifications at City College in Norwich (1991–92). This decision led to failure.
I returned to Morecambe, but my eldest brother insisted I go back to Bradford to continue job hunting. I tried everything.
While my mother was on a world cruise with her sister, she suffered a stroke on the final day. My brother Philip insisted that I live away from her. I moved through various contract jobs, but nothing permanent.
I lived in some very unpleasant places.
One landlord lived at No. 3, and his son and I lived at No. 1. One Monday morning, I met the landlord entering the house.
“Where’s Mark? He should have been at work.”
“He’s asleep in the living room,” I replied.
We went in and found that he had fallen off the sofa and choked on his own vomit. His body contained 634 mg of alcohol. A late-night drinking session at the local pub had led to him consuming large amounts of Pernod.
There was an inquest, and I had to testify. My mum used to say, “When drink’s in, wit’s out.”
We had many lodgers pass through No. 3. One evening I met a very talkative new lodger in the kitchen. He kept receiving strange phone calls and came and went frequently.
Then one day, he disappeared. I was relieved.
Later, my landlord arrived with five police officers. One officer questioned me.
“What do you know about this man?”
“Why? Has he done something wrong?”
“He has been accused of murder.”
I later discovered that this man had been a rapist and murderer. I had spoken with him alone for over an hour.
I managed to visit my brother in Canada, and he strongly advised me to leave Bradford. Soon after my mother returned, I went back to Morecambe.
During this period, I had been prescribed strong antidepressants — Cipramil 15 mg — which I remained dependent on for many years.
Devotional Thought
The prodigal son in Luke 15 had to experience hardship before he remembered what he had lost.
I lost much in the eight years after leaving Morecambe in 1989. The early 1990s were not a happy time for me.
I regret deeply what happened, especially between 1992 and 1997. Years later, I met a fellow student who had been academically weaker than me, yet she had earned a degree with a 2:1. It filled me with sadness. We often make mistakes because we choose our own way. I can blame no one but myself.
But remember: there is forgiveness with God. He truly forgives. The real question is whether we forgive ourselves.
To do this, we must take responsibility for our mistakes. Then we can be cleansed of guilt and pain. “If only” are small words, but we cannot dwell on what might have been.
In truth, I am grateful for the pain. It allowed me to see life honestly and recognise how fallible I am. It has also enabled me to help others.
Do not dwell on your failures. The apostle Paul did not dwell on his past. In Philippians 3 he wrote:
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ…
10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection…
That was probably the darkest time of my life.
Praise God — He brought me through it. Only He could.
A Sunny Afternoon in Hell
Jude 22–23
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
You may be intrigued by the title: How can it be sunny in Hell?
As I mentioned earlier, I was born in Bradford, which has a football team called Bradford City. I remember standing behind the goal at City’s Valley Parade ground many times. It was an old stadium, with crumbling terraces and an ageing wooden main stand.
They were the first winners of the FA Cup in 1911, but by the 1980s they had fallen on hard times and were playing in the third highest league in England. However, in the 1984–85 season, they had a young and exciting team. They stormed to the division title, and the last game of the season, on 11 May, was meant to be a celebration.
I wanted a ticket, so I called my brother. He was going with his children but was unwilling to get me one, so I phoned the club myself and secured a ticket. I drove to the ground that day.
The stadium was swarming with people. It was a joyous occasion. I sat toward the far end of the main stand. It was a sunny day, but the wind was blowing strongly down the valley where the ground was situated.
It was a poor match. One of the players suffered a serious injury, and the game was dull. About five minutes before half-time, I felt the need to go to the toilet, but something stopped me. I clearly felt, Don’t go. I believe this was the Lord stopping me. If I had gone to the back of the stand, I would have been killed.
No sooner had I settled back into my seat than I heard laughter behind me. Then I saw smoke rising from the seats. Someone had dropped a cigarette, and it had fallen through a crack in the flooring, igniting rubbish beneath the stand.
We were pushed forward, and soon we had to climb, or be pulled, over the wall and onto the pitch. By now the flames were overwhelming. The fire had reached the roof, which was covered in highly combustible felt cladding.
I wandered around on the pitch, searching for my brother and his family, who had been seated in the next section. I remember asking myself, If this is the heat of a fire, what will Hell be like? Total fire and destruction for those who do not trust Christ.
Fifty-six people died that day. Lives were changed forever.
Devotional Thought
For Christians reading this, please consider the following.
This should be our greatest motivation. We ourselves have been pulled out of the fire, so we should seek to rescue others from the fire of Hell.
Some people that day were heroes. They helped those who were on fire. I remember walking past the goalmouth and seeing two bodies lying there. This is the situation in the world today. People are dying every minute of every day, and the church and many Christians stand idly by, doing nothing.
I once heard the story of a man being interviewed for a job as an usher in a cinema. He was asked:
"What would you do if a fire broke out?"
He replied:
"I would be fine. I would make sure I was safe."
That is how many Christians live.
They have salvation, or so they believe, but they have no care or compassion for those who are perishing all around them.
Spurgeon said:
“The world lies in darkness… If you have found the remedy, tell the diseased about it. If you have found life, proclaim it to the dead. If you have found liberty, publish it to the captives. If you have found Christ, tell of Him to others…”
This memory remains vivid for me. It is a day of sorrow for those who died, but also a day of deep thankfulness that the Lord preserved me.
Let me tell you: it is not enough to attend church, to give to missions, to belong to social media groups, or even to write devotions.
For anyone who has not trusted Christ, life is very short. Many who died that day were young and looking forward to long lives, but suddenly life was gone.
Please do not delay. The day of salvation is now.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Chapter 8
The World’s Grasp
1 John 2:15–17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world...
17 And the world passeth away… but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
During the final two years of my hospital employment (1987–1989), I attended night school to study Business Studies and Computing. I obtained basic diplomas in both. When my job ended, I planned to pursue a National Diploma at my local college while still living at home.
However, I saw an advertisement in the Bradford newspaper for a two-year full-time course at Bradford and Ilkley Community College, so I returned to my birthplace.
I loved the lectures and felt intellectually stretched. These were subjects I truly enjoyed.
In our first year, we had to create an investment portfolio and produce a business plan for a real business. Two fellow students, Mark and Jacqui, and I decided to design an organic restaurant. We worked through costings, locations, menus, and operational planning, then submitted our project for assessment. We received a distinction.
In my final year, I achieved five distinctions out of seven subjects.
Although I loved college, my life completely forgot God and the church. I did not live immorally, but God was absent from my life. I enjoyed concerts, theatre, and culture. My friend Mark used to call me a “culture vulture.”
During my second year, I became friendly with a girl. Nothing improper happened, but we spent time together socially. Eventually, the friendship faded.
We graduated in June 1991. I applied for many jobs, but no one was interested. Many of my peers continued into a BA in Business Studies, but foolishly, and partly to impress this girl, I chose to pursue accounting qualifications at City College in Norwich (1991–92). This decision led to failure.
I returned to Morecambe, but my eldest brother insisted I go back to Bradford to continue job hunting. I tried everything.
While my mother was on a world cruise with her sister, she suffered a stroke on the final day. My brother Philip insisted that I live away from her. I moved through various contract jobs, but nothing permanent.
I lived in some very unpleasant places.
One landlord lived at No. 3, and his son and I lived at No. 1. One Monday morning, I met the landlord entering the house.
“Where’s Mark? He should have been at work.”
“He’s asleep in the living room,” I replied.
We went in and found that he had fallen off the sofa and choked on his own vomit. His body contained 634 mg of alcohol. A late-night drinking session at the local pub had led to him consuming large amounts of Pernod.
There was an inquest, and I had to testify. My mum used to say, “When drink’s in, wit’s out.”
We had many lodgers pass through No. 3. One evening I met a very talkative new lodger in the kitchen. He kept receiving strange phone calls and came and went frequently.
Then one day, he disappeared. I was relieved.
Later, my landlord arrived with five police officers. One officer questioned me.
“What do you know about this man?”
“Why? Has he done something wrong?”
“He has been accused of murder.”
I later discovered that this man had been a rapist and murderer. I had spoken with him alone for over an hour.
I managed to visit my brother in Canada, and he strongly advised me to leave Bradford. Soon after my mother returned, I went back to Morecambe.
During this period, I had been prescribed strong antidepressants — Cipramil 15 mg — which I remained dependent on for many years.
Devotional Thought
The prodigal son in Luke 15 had to experience hardship before he remembered what he had lost.
I lost much in the eight years after leaving Morecambe in 1989. The early 1990s were not a happy time for me.
I regret deeply what happened, especially between 1992 and 1997. Years later, I met a fellow student who had been academically weaker than me, yet she had earned a degree with a 2:1. It filled me with sadness. We often make mistakes because we choose our own way. I can blame no one but myself.
But remember: there is forgiveness with God. He truly forgives. The real question is whether we forgive ourselves.
To do this, we must take responsibility for our mistakes. Then we can be cleansed of guilt and pain. “If only” are small words, but we cannot dwell on what might have been.
In truth, I am grateful for the pain. It allowed me to see life honestly and recognise how fallible I am. It has also enabled me to help others.
Do not dwell on your failures. The apostle Paul did not dwell on his past. In Philippians 3 he wrote:
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ…
10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection…
That was probably the darkest time of my life.
Praise God — He brought me through it. Only He could.
Chapter 7
A Sunny Afternoon in Hell
Jude 22–23
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
You may be intrigued by the title: How can it be sunny in Hell?
As I mentioned earlier, I was born in Bradford, which has a football team called Bradford City. I remember standing behind the goal at City’s Valley Parade ground many times. It was an old stadium, with crumbling terraces and an ageing wooden main stand.
They were the first winners of the FA Cup in 1911, but by the 1980s they had fallen on hard times and were playing in the third highest league in England. However, in the 1984–85 season, they had a young and exciting team. They stormed to the division title, and the last game of the season, on 11 May, was meant to be a celebration.
I wanted a ticket, so I called my brother. He was going with his children but was unwilling to get me one, so I phoned the club myself and secured a ticket. I drove to the ground that day.
The stadium was swarming with people. It was a joyous occasion. I sat toward the far end of the main stand. It was a sunny day, but the wind was blowing strongly down the valley where the ground was situated.
It was a poor match. One of the players suffered a serious injury, and the game was dull. About five minutes before half-time, I felt the need to go to the toilet, but something stopped me. I clearly felt, Don’t go. I believe this was the Lord stopping me. If I had gone to the back of the stand, I would have been killed.
No sooner had I settled back into my seat than I heard laughter behind me. Then I saw smoke rising from the seats. Someone had dropped a cigarette, and it had fallen through a crack in the flooring, igniting rubbish beneath the stand.
We were pushed forward, and soon we had to climb, or be pulled, over the wall and onto the pitch. By now the flames were overwhelming. The fire had reached the roof, which was covered in highly combustible felt cladding.
I wandered around on the pitch, searching for my brother and his family, who had been seated in the next section. I remember asking myself, If this is the heat of a fire, what will Hell be like? Total fire and destruction for those who do not trust Christ.
Fifty-six people died that day. Lives were changed forever.
Devotional Thought
For Christians reading this, please consider the following.
This should be our greatest motivation. We ourselves have been pulled out of the fire, so we should seek to rescue others from the fire of Hell.
Some people that day were heroes. They helped those who were on fire. I remember walking past the goalmouth and seeing two bodies lying there. This is the situation in the world today. People are dying every minute of every day, and the church and many Christians stand idly by, doing nothing.
I once heard the story of a man being interviewed for a job as an usher in a cinema. He was asked:
"What would you do if a fire broke out?"
He replied:
"I would be fine. I would make sure I was safe."
That is how many Christians live.
They have salvation, or so they believe, but they have no care or compassion for those who are perishing all around them.
Spurgeon said:
“The world lies in darkness… If you have found the remedy, tell the diseased about it. If you have found life, proclaim it to the dead. If you have found liberty, publish it to the captives. If you have found Christ, tell of Him to others…”
This memory remains vivid for me. It is a day of sorrow for those who died, but also a day of deep thankfulness that the Lord preserved me.
Let me tell you: it is not enough to attend church, to give to missions, to belong to social media groups, or even to write devotions.
For anyone who has not trusted Christ, life is very short. Many who died that day were young and looking forward to long lives, but suddenly life was gone.
Please do not delay. The day of salvation is now.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Chapter 8
The World’s Grasp
1 John 2:15–17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world...
17 And the world passeth away… but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
During the final two years of my hospital employment (1987–1989), I attended night school to study Business Studies and Computing. I obtained basic diplomas in both. When my job ended, I planned to pursue a National Diploma at my local college while still living at home.
However, I saw an advertisement in the Bradford newspaper for a two-year full-time course at Bradford and Ilkley Community College, so I returned to my birthplace.
I loved the lectures and felt intellectually stretched. These were subjects I truly enjoyed.
In our first year, we had to create an investment portfolio and produce a business plan for a real business. Two fellow students, Mark and Jacqui, and I decided to design an organic restaurant. We worked through costings, locations, menus, and operational planning, then submitted our project for assessment. We received a distinction.
In my final year, I achieved five distinctions out of seven subjects.
Although I loved college, my life completely forgot God and the church. I did not live immorally, but God was absent from my life. I enjoyed concerts, theatre, and culture. My friend Mark used to call me a “culture vulture.”
During my second year, I became friendly with a girl. Nothing improper happened, but we spent time together socially. Eventually, the friendship faded.
We graduated in June 1991. I applied for many jobs, but no one was interested. Many of my peers continued into a BA in Business Studies, but foolishly, and partly to impress this girl, I chose to pursue accounting qualifications at City College in Norwich (1991–92). This decision led to failure.
I returned to Morecambe, but my eldest brother insisted I go back to Bradford to continue job hunting. I tried everything.
While my mother was on a world cruise with her sister, she suffered a stroke on the final day. My brother Philip insisted that I live away from her. I moved through various contract jobs, but nothing permanent.
I lived in some very unpleasant places.
One landlord lived at No. 3, and his son and I lived at No. 1. One Monday morning, I met the landlord entering the house.
“Where’s Mark? He should have been at work.”
“He’s asleep in the living room,” I replied.
We went in and found that he had fallen off the sofa and choked on his own vomit. His body contained 634 mg of alcohol. A late-night drinking session at the local pub had led to him consuming large amounts of Pernod.
There was an inquest, and I had to testify. My mum used to say, “When drink’s in, wit’s out.”
We had many lodgers pass through No. 3. One evening I met a very talkative new lodger in the kitchen. He kept receiving strange phone calls and came and went frequently.
Then one day, he disappeared. I was relieved.
Later, my landlord arrived with five police officers. One officer questioned me.
“What do you know about this man?”
“Why? Has he done something wrong?”
“He has been accused of murder.”
I later discovered that this man had been a rapist and murderer. I had spoken with him alone for over an hour.
I managed to visit my brother in Canada, and he strongly advised me to leave Bradford. Soon after my mother returned, I went back to Morecambe.
During this period, I had been prescribed strong antidepressants — Cipramil 15 mg — which I remained dependent on for many years.
Devotional Thought
The prodigal son in Luke 15 had to experience hardship before he remembered what he had lost.
I lost much in the eight years after leaving Morecambe in 1989. The early 1990s were not a happy time for me.
I regret deeply what happened, especially between 1992 and 1997. Years later, I met a fellow student who had been academically weaker than me, yet she had earned a degree with a 2:1. It filled me with sadness. We often make mistakes because we choose our own way. I can blame no one but myself.
But remember: there is forgiveness with God. He truly forgives. The real question is whether we forgive ourselves.
To do this, we must take responsibility for our mistakes. Then we can be cleansed of guilt and pain. “If only” are small words, but we cannot dwell on what might have been.
In truth, I am grateful for the pain. It allowed me to see life honestly and recognise how fallible I am. It has also enabled me to help others.
Do not dwell on your failures. The apostle Paul did not dwell on his past. In Philippians 3 he wrote:
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ…
10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection…
That was probably the darkest time of my life.
Praise God — He brought me through it. Only He could.
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