v.1- Herod was Herod Agrippa 1st, the grandson of Herod the Great.  Raised in Rome.

v.2- days of unleavened bread- were seven days after Passover, holy days that an execution should not have taken place on.

The Explosive Power of Prayer vv.5-11

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 16:25-26 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.”

1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”

The Enduring Perseverance of Fellowship vv.12-16

Hebrews 13:3 “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”

Open Doors, a persecution watchdog group, noted that over 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith between Nov.1, 2014 and Oct. 31, 2015.  2,400 churches were attacked, damaged, or destroyed.  North Korea 1, Iraq 2, Syria 5, Sudan 8.

The Explanation of God’s Provision v.17

1 Peter 5:10-11 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”