Yeah, it’s not the videos that bug me, it’s saying thinks like the following as if folks are propagating a lie:
“They believe these self-appointed apostles have the power to raise the dead, heal the sick, and do other miracles.”
I don’t know about “self-appointed”; that’d need a cite, but no lesser Authority than Jesus, Himself said:
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do HE WILL DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE HE WILL DO, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
— John 14:12-14, NKJV
Jesus said it’d be true, so why’s anybody griping that folks in the present day believe Him? And if those works mark the ministry of an apostle, shouldn’t we acknowledge that those who do them are doing apostolic works, and walking in apostolic authority?
Yeah, some pretty big sandals are in the Apostolic Hall of Fame; just because those sandals are too big for most of today’s ministers who touch apostolic authority, is our only possible conclusion that there are no apostles?
Are we to say there are NO NFL Quarterbacks since nobody playing now beats the stats of Joe Montana?
Are there NO Shooting Guards in the NBA today since none compare to Michael Jordan?
Are there NO Pitchers in Major League Baseball seeing as there’s none can compare to Nolan Ryan?
It’d be idiotic drivel to say anything like that, but we say it about apostles in the church all the time. We’d be really smart to shut up.
I think there are those who are truly apostles in this day and age but are such, not knowing that God had appointed them to be his apostles. You’ll find them in situations where they are whole hearted servants of Jesus, serving as he served, “washing the feet” of others as it were in a variety of ways. They think nothing of it or may not even know until much later when they had prayed and they discover God has answered their prayer. In their discussions, their church friends would discover that their words and wisdom are reliable and never seem “to fall on the ground”. Their solutions to issues and problems are genius, they might even discover the bug that was fouling up the church office computer. They would never promote themselves via glitzy websites or be all over media and the internet. They would even feel like dying at the thought that someone has plastered their names all over as being some great “apostle for Jesus. They might the odd sort of guy or gal in church that has something special about him or her...he or she has an isolation about them yet they are not unhappy but are known as friends to all. You watch such people at silent prayer or at worship as they sing and contemplate and you realize such people are in a class all by themselves which makes one long to have that same special niche with God...which everyone does but these people are living reminders of that fact.
In doctrinal discussions though about complex Bible issues such persons can just bury you with Biblical based verses(IN CONTEXT NO LESS!) to prove their wise points even though such people may not always remember the precise chapter and verse and will humbly and sheepishly admit it! You discover later when checking that they have cited whole passages of scripture as though the Holy Spirit was speaking directly thru them...which he was! Many such people are in churches all over but they would never think themselves as being a Peter or James or John. Yet I think there are such folks like I’ve described who are in truth apostles or at least operating with apostolic ministry. Apostles have the most influence sometimes by just being quietly present with the Holy Spirit outflowing from such persons to “moderate the room” in an unspeaking sort of way.(driving out demons and filling the air with a breath of God’s Shekinah glory)
I believe there are apostles amongst us but they are mostly unsung, doing by nature what the Holy Spirit has built into them to do in humble manner, often praying prayers deeply, being vexxed by the ills of our society and for the lost souls all around us. Many fast and pray quietly and serve humbly and the Lord who watches in secret shall reward such openly.
These are my own opinions based on observations over the years....