How Many Weekends Do You Have Remaining?

Thank you so much for tuning in and Welcome everyone – Hope you’re well! I’m your host, Ben Lively, and you’re listening to “Shaken Awake” – Episode #52!

I just want to thank you for tuning in with us today, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing right this very moment. It means everything to me to share the messages that God’s lays on my heart to share.

And, as always, I promise you another great show – But, more than anything, my HOPE for you today, and always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord, not just another podcast episode.

Quick ask – if you’ve found value in these episodes, would you take 30 seconds after the show to go to submit a quick review and star-rating in your app. This is what potential listeners look for when deciding whether to give a show a listen – which is confirmation from other listeners that it can bring value. Would you do that for me, IF and only IF you find value in these episodes? I can’t thank you enough.

So, without further delay, let’s get ready to invite God in with us, right here, right now and allow Him to speak directly to your heart and minds.

So, today’s topic is on “How Many Weekends Do You Have Remaining?”

It’s often said on a Monday morning all across the world in corporate America, and you know what? It’s often said even before dinner time every Sunday night in many households – and that’s the infamous saying, “Where did the weekend go???” It’s a cliched statement by like most, hold true in every form. We know the weekend is only two full days and nights, and the work week, generally is 5 days long. We long for 5 days for the 2 days off, then they vanish before our very eyes. It’s often said that an extended weekend, like a 3-day or 4-day weekend, especially around the holidays feels more like what a weekend SHOULD feel like. However, it’s just not our reality. Time is what time is, right?

You may be asking yourself, why is he talking about weekends? Great question and I’m glad you asked! I’m speaking weekends today because it’s a unit of measurement, in this case time, that we can all easily relate to, and it is not subjective. 2 days and nights and 2 days and nights – no way else to comprehend or define that. We can debate the weather, as to whether it’s comfortable outside, we can debate art, and whether it is appealing to the senses or not, and same with food, and fashion, and yes, even scripture.

If you, like me as of this recording are in your 40’s, life expectancy is around 75. I know – there are arguments for and against that number and variables that weigh heavily into the exact science. But on average, human life expectancy at this moment (in 2022 according to science) is 79 years of age as a whole, planet-wide. When we hear that number, the younger we are, the more far-off, distant, non-existent, carefree, impenetrable, confident, prideful, we can even become. Because it’s a number that provides us the illusion, if you’re my age, that my life is only half over. That’s by design. I went over this on an earlier episode where I break down the science and biology of the brain that causes us to believe on a subconscious level that we’ll live forever when we know we won’t, so I’m not going down that route today. I want to show you another illusion, what I firmly consider to be the work of the great deceiver, that has us wasting our lives on the things that don’t matter without a care of the actual and factual time limit we actually have every day that God breathes another day of life into our bodies.

This isn’t going to be a boring science lesson or lecture – this goal of this podcast is to show you how much time you actually have – AT BEST, and feel it in your heart, mind, body, and soul. For if you know what little you have, you also know how much each minute is now worth.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say we could put a price tag on an hour of life. Each hour, let’s say, is worth $10K. So, if you were wealthy and could buy more, $240K would buy you an extra day of life. Are you with me? Most would say, yeah, that would seem or feel about right.

If you’re 45 right now, and life expectancy is 80 years of age, you have 35 years remaining (12,775 days remaining). Would you buy a day for $240K? I would wager to say 100% - NO! I wouldn’t! But the question was never, is $240K worth one extra day of life. We already agreed it was!!!! It was the perception of the value of that day relative to how many days you BELIEVE you have remaining on the earth!!!!

Before we move on, let’s do a quick exercise. Think about the date today relative to the first of this calendar year. How many weekends have gone by? For me and at this stage of the year I’m in, I’ve had 8 weekends this year. However, in my mind’s eye, it truly feels like only a simple few.

Last part of the exercise – if you are the following age, here is the number of hours, at best, you have remaining if you live life to it’s fullest expectancy:

30 – 2,548 weekends remaining

35 – 2,288 weekends remaining

40 – 2,028 weekends remaining

45 – 1,768 weekends remaining

50 – 1,508 weekends remaining

55 – 1,248 weekends remaining

60 – 988 weekends remaining

65 – 728 weekends remaining

70 – 468 weekends remaining

75 – 208 weekends remaining

80 – (-1 – borrowed time)

Ok, so now that we know and have a fresh perspective on life and the remaining time we have here, at best, you now have a glimpse into what the devil does not want you to think about, consider, or worse yet – alter your life consciously because of. I could have easily said, for those of you 30 and up – in another 49 years, none of us listening to this podcast right now will be alive. Sure, it has the shock and awe factor and yes, it would be a true statement. However, it doesn’t get you to MOVE. It gets you to simply, move on and forget/ignore. I already did a podcast episode where I show how the brain is able to ignore the fact, day after day, that we are NOT invincible and that we will one day be gone, as a vapor in the wind as the Bible describes – yet we don’t ever consciously live like it. This is another great deception of the enemy – if he can get you to believe, which he has, subliminally, that you have forever to get right with God, live a holy and righteous life, repent of your sins, live for God, do the will of the Father, etc. – then he will beat you at his own game; of which, he is the ultimate master. In fact, God calls him the god of this world – and that is no exaggeration. You cannot win at his game. However, you can win at God’s. God does not want you to lose sight of the fact that you are not here forever. In fact, and to put it more bluntly, you have less time remaining than you think or will feel. Use the weekend as the example. Reality sets in when you know there is no other means by which to inherit the Kingdom of God.

Here are some verses that describe why God wants us to recognize the time He’s given us, relative to eternity. For what we do or don’t do here on this earth with the time He’s allotted to us, can dictate everything about our eternal resting place.

Let me share a few of these with you; I fear churches may have neglected you as they did me on many if not all of these. However, God has not neglected us – here are but a few:

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ...

2 Peter 3:8

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Ephesians 5:16

Making the best use of the time because the days are evil.

Proverbs 16:9

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps

James 4:14

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 31:15

My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

Colossians 4:5

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Ephesians 1:10

As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Mark 13:32

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

John 9:4

We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

Romans 13:11

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Psalm 90:4

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

Acts 1:7

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Philippians 3:13-14

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for

Psalm 39:4-5

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

Romans 5:6

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Matthew 24:36

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Psalm 90:10

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

What these verses, and there’s many, many more I’ve omitted – 1 for time, and 2 because I want you to seek what the Lord says – these verses are urging us to do the exact opposite of what the enemy has been so successful your entire life having you believe the lie that you have all the time to do good. All the time to be a good and faithful servant. All the time to do the wil of the Father. All the time to turn things around. All the time to put off till tomorrow what God says shall be done today. All the time left to pull out a win. All the time left to make up for lost time. All the time left to make an impact for the Kingdom. All the time left to be faithfully obedient and consistent and love and obedience to Him and your neighbor. All the time left to do the things you should have always done but didn’t. All the time left……but there’s not time left. When the last speck of sand hits the bottom of your hourglass and God calls you home…..there is NO time left afterwards. The race is over. Your chance at life ceases to ever continue again. There is not a second that remains or will ever remain again – FOR ETERNITY!!!!!!!! THEREFORE, HOW precious is your life right now? This is what the enemy fears most – it’s what you’ll decide to do with it from this second on.

So, in closing, my final statement is this: You have one chance, and for many of us including myself, it’s more than half over….what are you doing with your time and free will – it’s the two most precious assets God has given you to do His will.

So, my final questions to you is this: How much love, obedience, faith, and action will you place in the remainder of your days that are not self-serving, but will be put towards doing the will of the Father? That amount is ENTIRELY in YOUR HANDS.

---------------------------------

So, before we end today’s show, I just want to thank you all again for tuning in and I HOPE you were touched by today’s message and scripture. If you’d like to reach out to me, please call me directly at 4074933208, email me at ben@shaken-awake.com, or check out the show at shaken-awake.com.

Next week!!!! Tune in Next Sunday – or WHENEVER YOU’RE ABLE, as we discuss “Predestination and Election – It’s From God, Not Calvin”

Next week’s episode is another powerful and DO-NOT-MISS episode – thanks for joining!

Until next week, take great care of yourself and each other, and God Bless You all.