Orion, The Good Shepherd
By admin On December 29th, 2012.
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ORION, THE GOOD SHEPHERD
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“The LORD is my shepherd;
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I shall not want (lack).
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He maketh me to lie
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down in green pastures:
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He leadeth me beside
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the still waters…
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I will fear no evil:
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for Thou art with me;
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Thy rod and thy staff
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they comfort me….”
Psalm 23:1, 2, 4
ABOVE STAR-CHART – winter – Orion the Good Shepherd (Orion Constellation and rod made of Gemini stars) – www.signsofheaven.org
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“I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD”
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 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
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By the infallible pen of Divine inspiration, God has forever connected Himself with the concept of a shepherd with his sheep.Â
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The above verse from John’s Gospel portrays Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
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With His sacrifice on the Cross, Jesus truly fulfilled the above prophecy, giving His life for His lost sheep.
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LOVE STORY IN THE STARS
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But Scripture isn’t the only place where God has presented this concept of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
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God has written His heavenly love story in the Sun, Moon, and Stars, as well, as is written…
“And there shall be signs in the sun,
and in the moon,
and in the stars;
and upon the Earth distress of nations, with perplexity;
the sea and the waves roaring;”
Luke 21:25.
And these Signs Of Heaven are a second witness to what the Bible declares. Â
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ABOVE WIKIPEDIA STAR-CHART – winter – Orion the Good Shepherd (Orion Constellation and rod made of Gemini stars) – www.signsofheaven.org
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ORION, THE GOOD SHEPHERD
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This star-chart from Wikipedia, has Orion sketched in by the editor of this website.
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With the addition of a single star, Theta Geminorum (the left hand of the Castor twin of Gemini), the sickle in Orion, the Reaper’s hand, now extends the blade, thus transforming that sickle into the hook of a shepherd’s rod and staff.
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And so now this little Gemini star becomes the tip of Orion’s Shepherd’s rod & staff.
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Thus, with this additional star, Orion the Reaper Constellation now becomes the 5th personality of Orion: The Good Shepherd (sketch below right).
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Theta Geminorum is a class A3, 4th magnitude star, which means it is much fainter than either of the stars, Castor or Pollux.
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But faint as This little star may be, it nevertheless presents a giant concept, turning Orion’s sickle into a shepherd’s rod.
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And this is a very wonderful and beautiful Bible truth: namely, that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, as is written…
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“As a shepherd seeketh out his flock
in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered;
so will I seek out My sheep,
and will deliver them out of all places
where they have been scattered
in the cloudy and dark day.”
Ezekiel 34:12Â
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And so God has placed this Starry Shepherd in the winter-night heavens to remind us of His great love for a planet which has wandered away: just like sheep that wandered to where the grass looked greener.
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SHEPHERD CARRIES US
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Just think of the Good Shepherd looking high and low, and finally finding that one lost sheep.
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Does He hit the sheep?
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Does He yell at the sheep?
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No, He lovingly places the sheep upon His broad shoulders, and joyfully carries it home. And that sheep, no doubt, enjoys the ride all the way back home.  Â
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Brooklyn Museum – The Good Shepherd Le bon pasteur – James Tissot wikpedia – US-public-domain.jpgÂ
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SHEEP WITH NO SHEPHERD
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“But when He [Jesus] saw the multitudes,
He was moved with compassion on them,
because they fainted,
and were scattered abroad,
as sheep having no shepherd.”
Matthew 9:36
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In the above verse Jesus was going through the cities and villages, preaching the Gospel.
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But Jesus looked upon the very people who were chosen by God long before, to be the people of God.
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ABOVE PICTURE – winter – Orion the Good Shepherd – www.signsofheaven.org
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A REST UNTO THE SOUL
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“Come unto Me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy,
and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
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The Good Shepherd stands at the door and knocks.
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Just listen to the call of Jesus to the Laodiceans…
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear My voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with Me.”
Revelation 3:2
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THE END
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A HEAVENLY HOBBY
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“Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold Who hath created these things;
that brings out their host by number:
He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might,
for that He is strong in power;
not one faileth.”
Isaiah 40:26
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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these 
things.
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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and 
worries, and habits, to name just a few.
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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.
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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.
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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License
Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license
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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…
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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”
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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.
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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!
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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.
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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.
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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.
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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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“And there shall be signs in the sun,
and in the moon,
and in the stars;
and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity;
the sea and the waves roaring;”
Luke 21:25
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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)
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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS
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The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).
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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Chur
ch (7 Stars).
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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.
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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.
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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS
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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…
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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!
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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!
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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.
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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.
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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)
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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and latered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS
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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.
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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.
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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.
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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.
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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain