When God made man, it was a clearly designed plan for His creation.

First, God created the heavens and the earth, which is stated in Genesis Chapter 1. God made man in his own image and likeness and gave him dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move upon the earth, according to Genesis 1:27 and 28.

He said everything we did was good and very good. Man is the crown of all God’s creation.

Our young people need to know that they were made in the image and likeness of God. This helps us to understand that man is spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Spirit is that part of man which knows and connects him to the spiritual creation and gives him God consciousness (1 Corinthians 2:10-13).

The soul is self-consciousness, which is different from plants, which have unconscious life. Animals also have a soul (Genesis 1:24). But the soul of man has a larger content than soul as applied to animal life. The soul is the make up of man’s emotions, desires, affections (Psalms 42:1-5). The body is separate from the spirit and soul and subject to death due to the fallen Adamic nature (Romans 7:23 and 24). It is also that part of man that will be resurrected according to the Bible (John 5:28,29; l Corinthians 15:47-50; Revelation 20:11-13).

After much prayer and fasting, I felt a need to address an issue that has seemed to overwhelm Decatur County, as well as this entire society.

Everywhere we look, it is not unusual now to see young men with their pants being worn indecent, showing their undergarments. They are worn halfway to their hips, below the hips and almost down to their knees. This is a trend that we have never seen before and pray that it will cease. They are seen in the schools, shopping centers, walking the streets, in restaurants, in court and also in different offices while conducting business.

I am sending out this message to each of you, young men, “it is time to pull your pants up.”

God loves each of you. As I stated earlier in this message that you were made in the image and likeness of God. You might not know why you are wearing your pants down, but it is very embarrassing to see your underwear bringing shame to your image as a man. God chastise those whom he loves and He has the parents first of all in position to guide and teach in the home. We all have a job to do because I have young men that I am responsible for raising. I have had to tell them the same thing sometimes.

When at the Laymen Outreach, I tell them to pull their pants up. Most of them can not tell me the reason why they are wearing their pants that way. Most of our young people just need teaching the word of God, which is our guide.

In God’s word, they will find self-worth and identity. There is a song out now that is called “Pull your pants up” and we play in at the outreach center.

We as parents and leaders need to be strong and show authority, and not compromise what is right just to get along. This is tough love, which will win in the end. I am sure that are those who know the right way but go along because of peer pressure. There are some who just need love and guidance from someone who cares. There are some who will not hear the right way and will choose to follow the crowd anyway.

In the end we must continue to teach, guide and pray for our young people. Sure, this will be difficult to enforce if made law, but at least we can address the situation and every person can take a stand on their own and say to the next young man in a caring way.

“Pull your pants up.”

I would like to encourage our young people to listen to your parents. They know the right way. Listen to your elders and teachers. Take a look at yourself in the mirror and say to yourself—“who am I ?”

If you are confused and do not know which way to go, just know that God has placed his Spirit in all of us. All you have to do is start speaking to God. Just talk to Him just like you would a friend. God will hear you. He is closer than you realize but you have to make the first step.

“What is man, that thou are mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visited him? For thou has made him a little lower than the angels and has crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:4-5).

When Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiates, in the third chapter it tell us that there is a time for everything under the sun. It starts with telling us that there is a time to be born and a time to die. Young people read it for yourself. Now the time has come for our young men to pull their pants up and get back on the right path for God.

As stated in Ecclesiates 12:1, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”

Life is meaningless without God. We must fear God and keep his commandments, which is what the Lord requires from all of us, young and old

Citizens of Decatur County and all who reads this message, let us all pray for a change with our young people. Let us not look down on them because some are not as fortunate as others. It is all of our responsibility because we all have a job to do. Young people, it is time to pull you pants up!

You were made to bring glory to God because you were made in His image and likeness.

“Pull your pants up!”