A few months ago, Lariza got a brand new iPhone 6, I was so excited for her, because she is always the one who is a few versions behind. Not this time. So, I had decided that I was not getting a new phone until my current iPhone5 stopped working. So after my iPhone 5 decided to stop working on me a few days ago, I spent the last three days planning and preparing to get a new iPhone 6.  It was time.
However, I got the bad news yesterday afternoon that it was not going to be possible for me to get a new iPhone 6 unless I was able to come up with a whole grip of money…at least as far as my finances are concerned. I can’t swing full retail price. I left the AT&T store, with an iPhone 4 Sim card and plans to reactivate Lariza’s old phone.
When I finally had time to call customer service late last night, I was put on hold for 10 minutes then about 5-10 minutes longer to see if she could help me only to discover that I needed to be transferred to the business department as my phone is on a business account. Once the transfer happened, the automated operator hung up on me saying that their business hours had now ended. Let’s say at this point I was feeling pretty discouraged after one door, then another, then another closed on me.
I am preaching in two weeks a new series called, #FlowRider all about gracefully riding the waves of life, so I was determined that I was just gonna ride it out, but on the inside it was a bit of a battle in discouragement. Then it was time for our weekly late Thursday night planning call to discuss Sunday morning worship experience. (I used Lariza’s phone)  When we got to prayer requests, I didn’t know what to say, other than…I feel like crap. Then I shared the 3 day no phone ordeal with the group. It was then I was reminded that on that call was a former Apple Genius, the wonderful name for those heroes in blue at teh Apple store. It turned out to be a providential conversation.  She informed me about something called the DFU restore, which allows you to restore to factory settings.  I had to press the home button for 15 seconds after doing a phone reset. I tried it later that night, and it didn’t work immediately but after updating my OS on my Mac and trying it again, my phone is so fresh and so clean. Then this morning I simply synced it my cloud data and BAM, back to where I left off 3 days ago.
Didn’t have to spend a dime and now my iPhone 5 is running fine!
Here’s the gold I was given this week…
God Knows What He is Doing. When God closes a door, when He prunes you, when He allows pain, it is for a purpose. We might not always recognize why, but He ALWAYS has a plan. (“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28)
Be a FlowRider. Ride out the wave that came, wait to see what God has in store, and be ready to ride the next wave.

Mercy Restores. This week I preached about how God is a merciful God and that is why He sent Jesus. It was an ultimate sacrificial act of mercy. One of my points was that we should be merciful because mercy restores. That was what I learned with my phone. God didn’t cause my phone to stop working, but I believe in His infinite mercy He positioned the events thereafter to lead me back to the restoration of my phone.

• Not able to spend $300 for a new phone = God’s Mercy
• Not able to get the financing plan = God’s Mercy
• Not able to get the old phone activated = God’s Mercy
• Being on a call with the right person at the right time = God’s Mercy.

When all was said and done, it took 3 days, but all was restored. Mercy Restores.
Wow, it took three days. Something about 3 days sounds familiar?
When they prayed for my phone, yeah we prayed over my phone….the specific prayer was that it would be resurrected.
…and on the 3rd day…. #BOOM
#ResurrectionPowerAintNoJoke
What needs restored in your life?
What needs to be resurrected?
Maybe your loss is much greater, maybe your wait is much longer, but if you trust in Jesus…THE RESURRECTION POWER is the same.
It may be time for a DFU restoration in your life. Maybe you need to answer the Lord’s call back home and just stay there for a while. It may not eb 15 seconds, may not be 15 minutes, maybe 15 years…but GOD is a merciful God and MERCY RESTORES.
Don’t Doubt His power.
Don’t Fear the future.
Don’t Underestimate how far His love will go.
GOD BRINGS RESTORATION!