A. Well-off supporters often helped God's messengers:

GEN 47:1. Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

GEN 47:2. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

GEN 47:3. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

GEN 47:4. They said morever unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.

GEN 47:5. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:

GEN 47:6. The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

1KI 18:3. And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:

1KI 18:13. Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

2KI 4:8. And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

2KI 4:9. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

2KI 4:10. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

2KI 4:11. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

NEH 2:7. Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

NEH 2:8. And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

JER 37:15. Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

JER 37:16. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

JER 37:17. Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

JER 37:18. Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

JER 37:19. Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

JER 37:20. Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

JER 37:21. Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

DAN 2:48. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

DAN 2:49. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

LUK 8:1. And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

LUK 8:2. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

LUK 8:3. And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

ROM 16:23. Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

PHLM 1:1. And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

PHLM 1:2. That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

PHLM 1:7. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

PHLM 1:22. But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

B. Don't abuse others' generosity:

1CO 7:31. And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

C. Full-time workers to be supported by those to whom they minister:

MAT 10:9. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

MAT 10:10. Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

1CO 9:7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

1CO 9:8. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

1CO 9:9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

1CO 9:10. Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

1CO 9:11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

1CO 9:12. If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

1CO 9:13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

1CO 9:14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

2KI 4:42. And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

LUK 22:35. And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

1TI 5:18. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

DEU 25:4. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

LUK 10:7. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

ACT 28:7. In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

ACT 28:8. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

ACT 28:9. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

ACT 28:10. Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

D. Staying as a guest at someone's house:

MAT 10:11. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

LUK 10:7. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

LUK 10:8. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

1KI 17:8. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

1KI 17:9. Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

1KI 17:10. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

1KI 17:11. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

1KI 17:12. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

1KI 17:13. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

1KI 17:14. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

1KI 17:15. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

1KI 17:16. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

1KI 17:24. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

ACT 10:5. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

ACT 10:6. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

ACT 16:14. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

ACT 16:15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

ACT 17:5. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

ACT 17:7. Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

ACT 18:2. And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

ACT 18:3. And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

ACT 18:7. And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

ROM 16:23. Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

PHLM 1:22. But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

E. But don't overstay your welcome:

PRO 25:17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.

F. Accepting invitations to a meal:

MAT 9:9. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

MAT 9:10. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

LUK 5:29. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

LUK 7:36. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

LUK 19:1. And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

LUK 19:2. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

LUK 19:3. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

LUK 19:4. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

LUK 19:5. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

LUK 19:6. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

1CO 10:27. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

G. Refusing invitations to a meal:

1KI 13:7. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

1KI 13:8. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

1KI 13:9. For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

1KI 13:15. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

1KI 13:16. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

1KI 13:17. For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

1KI 13:18. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

1KI 13:19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

1KI 13:20. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:

1KI 13:21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

1KI 13:22. But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

1KI 13:23. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

1KI 13:24. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

PRO 15:17. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

DAN 1:5. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

DAN 1:8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

DAN 1:12. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

DAN 1:13. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

DAN 1:14. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

DAN 1:15. And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

DAN 1:16. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

PRO 23:6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

PRO 23:7. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

PRO 23:8. The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

H. Share amongst yourselves what God has already given you:

ACT 2:44. And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

ACT 2:45. And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

ACT 4:32. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

ACT 4:34. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

ACT 4:35. And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

ACT 11:29. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

2CO 8:12. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

2CO 8:13. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

2CO 8:14. But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

2CO 8:15. As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.