The Apocrypha and the Hobbit

In watching the last of the Hobbit trilogy last night and reading about a book about the Maccabees story and what Hanukkah was about I was struck by the thought as to why more Christians don't read the Apocrypha and the story behind the Hanukkah.  It is quit an amazing story,  Then in the spirit of thinking about how much C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien has influenced the Christian faith, I am left with the question as to why some Christians will belittle the other stories of the Apocrypha as not needing to be read along with the Bible.  Some will fervently say, "They are not part of the Canon, don't you know!" I am not say that such works as The Song of the Tree Children and The Story of Bel and the Dragon are anywhere on equal terms with the Torah but there is something to be said about good stories and their purposes.  Good stories inspire and reminds its readers definition of right and wrong and to develop solid moral reasoning,  It is the reason as to why I believe Judah, the brother of Jesus uses a quote from Enoch as well in his letter to the assemblies.  It was to underline a point made in the letter. 
If you have never read at least The Maccabees in The Apocrypha please due so...

Rambam's musings on Tithing

The Mishneh Torah is a code of Jewish religious law (Halakha) authored by Maimonides, or otherwise known as Rambam), a notable Rabbi of Judaism in the Middle Ages about the time of Thomas Aquinas.  I wanted to post this section of the Mishneh by Rambam.  Notice what he writes in the Teramot section of the Mishneh about tithing, that is that it is primarily connected to the land of Israel. 

 

Halacha 1

According to Scriptural Law, [the obligation to separate] the terumot1 and the tithes2 applies only in Eretz Yisrael.3[It applies] whether the Temple is standing or not.4 The prophets ordained that these obligations should be observed in Babylon as well, because it is adjacent to Eretz Yisrael and the majority of the Jewish people journey to and from there.5 The Sages of the early generations6 ordained that they also be observed in the lands of Egypt and the lands of Ammon and Moab, because they are on the peripheries of Eretz Yisrael.

 

Yes there is a reason why Hebrew Roots of the faith is important to understand. If someone tries to apply Galatians 1 & 2 to a Christian that is left the true Gospel for another then he does not understand Galatians at all.  Galatians was about a heresy in true conversion of the faith and never does not teach an abrogation of the tutor (the Torah).  Also, when one is strict to the teachings of the Torah they will apply them correct as it relates to the Gentile assemblies.  If a pastor teaching tithing especially THIS YEAR not only is he misapplying passages like Malachi 3, the pastor is misapplying the principles in tithing AS STATED IN THE TORAH.  Not only is there an issue of timing but also there is also by Rambam's instructions a geographic consideration to take into account with instructions on tithing.  By analysis of Rambam's teaching, this teaching on tithing is clearly associated with the land of Israel.