This is my first post on stack exchange after a long while of creeping in the shadows !
I have a simple code, 2 classes:
MainActivity: with a listview, an OnCreate method, and a custom method called Build List.
other activity: Retrieves data online, then calls MainActivity's BuildList(String) method.
The problem is, my array adapter is being --generated-- in BuildList, and i'm getting the dreaded System services not available to Activities before onCreate()
Here's the relevant code:
public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity {
    private ListView lv;
    private   ArrayAdapter<String> FolderArray;
    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
//etcetc
    lv = (ListView)findViewById(R.id.LV1);
    lv.setAdapter(FolderArray);
//etcetc
    }
    public void BuildList(String folders) {
    ArrayList FolderList= new ArrayList(Arrays.asList(folders.split(", ")));    // string comes as "this, is, my, list"
    FolderArray = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,FolderList ); //i realise i cannot use "this" as context but i'm kind of lost now..
    }
}
Any help would be appreciated . Thanks in advance!
--edit--
Here's My Logcat
02-14 11:35:25.456  16059-16059/com.controller E/AndroidRuntime﹕ FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.controller, PID: 16059
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start receiver com.controller.CustomNotificationReceiver: java.lang.IllegalStateException: System services not available to Activities before onCreate()
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleReceiver(ActivityThread.java:2521)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1700(ActivityThread.java:157)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1323)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:157)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5293)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1265)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1081)
        at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
 Caused by: java.lang.IllegalStateException: System services not available to Activities before onCreate()
        at android.app.Activity.getSystemService(Activity.java:4676)
        at android.widget.ArrayAdapter.init(ArrayAdapter.java:310)
        at android.widget.ArrayAdapter.<init>(ArrayAdapter.java:153)
        at com.controller.MainActivity.BuildList(MainActivity.java:98)
        at com.controller.CustomNotificationReceiver.onReceive(CustomNotificationReceiver.java:45)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleReceiver(ActivityThread.java:2514)
            at android.app.ActivityThread.access$1700(ActivityThread.java:157)
            at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1323)
            at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
            at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:157)
            at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5293)
            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:1265)
            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:1081)
            at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
Please note that "(MainActivity.java:98)" Points to:
         FolderArray = new ArrayAdapter<String>(this,android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,FolderList );
--edit 2--
Here's my second class:
public class CustomNotificationReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
    String alert;
    String DirList = "ls";
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        try {
            JSONObject json = new JSONObject(intent.getExtras().getString("com.parse.Data"));
            alert = json.getString("alert");  
        } catch (JSONException e) {
        }
        Toast.makeText(context, alert,
            Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();      //this gives out the correct result
       MainActivity mainact = new MainActivity();
      mainact.BuildList(alert);
    }
}
 
     
    