It was a movement of the Spirit marked by spontaneity, song, testimony and intercession. Preaching was minimized and experience was magnified. People were genuinely in love with Jesus and it was contagious. 100,000 were added to the churches of Wales in a matter of weeks. And true awakenings were reported around the globe.

The uniqueness of the Welsh Revival became its weakness.

The emphasis was on personal experience, what used to be known as experimental religion. This is a good thing. God has no grandchildren. We each must have personal encounter with the Spirit of Christ. Dead orthodoxy is no more genuine Christianity than fervent heresy . We must get back to the cultivation of the inner life, a sweet intimacy. And when we encounter the living Christ, it most definitely is an experience!

But the problem occurs when we become out of balance. The Welsh Revival degenerated into aberrant theology and extravagant emotional experience because it was not anchored by the consistent preaching of the Word, thus being tossed about by every wind of doctrine.

Nearly 200 years prior, Jonathan Edwards dealt with extravagance in experiences during times of revival. But he didn’t throw out that precious baby just because of some dirty bath water. He kept things in check by regular, doctrinal, expository, and by modern standards, very deep Biblical preaching. He said, “As the servant of the Word, the pastor’s message out of the Word should cleanse the consciences of the people who listen to him. The whole church is edified and built up by this soul-washing, hence the primary importance of the pastor is to be an EXPOSITORY PREACHER.”

The next great awakening (and we are long overdue in America ) must be a Word-driven revival. During times of extraordinary movements of the Holy Spirit, Satan attempts to keep pace, perverting, counterfeiting and thus bringing into disrepute what God is accomplishing. Revival is war! And the primary weapon in our arsenal is the faithful preaching of the Scriptures.

1904-05 was the last revival the country known as the Land of Revivals has experienced.